Sorry, Babe, I Just Ain't That Kind of Hero
by Shirou Fujimura
Summary: UNDERGOING REWRITES!
1. Chapter 1

**Here it is...I don't know what to say. It's only the prologue so far but I hope you all enjoy something that isn't Shirou Fujimura-related. I'm sure you'll find this protagonist fun enough without venturing into angst-burger territory which I deeply hope to avoid.**

 **Also, be patient for this one. Not only is this the prologue, but not all stories don't have to have their main protagonist appear as the very first character shown.**

 **Anywho~ On with the show.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Prologue: Prelude of Enzo**

It was in an underground chamber, far below the city streets upon which countless humans had walked, that this story began. It was almost funny. Normal humans rarely had full knowledge of the world around them, failing to even notice what was quite literally right under their feet. It was just as it's always been and as it always would be. For this dungeon-like construct was but a single part of the world hidden from normal human eyes. It was a complicated but necessary structure built in secret and, thankfully, without accident nor tragedy.

It was not ancient like most would think.

After all, it had been built only five years ago, to be used by one individual. An individual with a reputation so fearsome that he attained the title of "Demon of the Church" to fully express his strength and raw power in battle. Because of this title and the rarity of his appearances outside, he had become a subject of many rumors and great fear. Very few had ever seen his face and even fewer outside of those of superior rank had even exchanged a word with him. To his peers, he was as mysterious as he was terrifying.

It was to the point that venturing into this chamber was considered a childish test of courage by the younger recruits of the Church, almost a joke. However, every single child who returned from that place possessed a pale face full of fear and sometimes trousers full of urine. But such was the results of childish shenanigans based upon immaturity.

Only a handful of people regularly visited this place that the "Demon" called home. Those who were sent as a proxy always returned with a variety of reactions. Anywhere from anger to frustration to embarrassment.

Anybody who went in refused to discuss what happened.

So what made that day different from any other?

It most likely had to do with the trio making their way through the underground halls.

One would usually picture a secret structure underground looking like the ceiling was close to caving in with water leaking from the cracks, and the walls usually being covered in cobwebs and all sorts of nasty insects and questionable stains, perhaps with a row of lit torches lining the walls. That was not the case in this situation.

The structure through which the previously mentioned trip traveled had a far more modern design. A clean carpeted floor, marble columns supporting the ceiling above them, and the walls all held a pleasant light-blue color, the whole room lit up by the dozen or so lights hanging from the ceiling.

Far from terrifying, true, but it was better to have something safe and mundane than a crumbling fear dungeon that could result in incredible law suits. However, when the lights were turned off at night, the fear this place induces could easily match the most fearful nightmare.

It was human nature to fear what one could not see.

"So we are really going to see him?" One of the trio asked. This person was a young woman, approximately 16 years of age and clothed in the robes of the Church. Her most noticeable feature was most likely her chin-length blue hair. She stood respectfully at their leader's side, her lowered guard indicating her utmost trust. "Is the mission that difficult?"

"Not difficult so much as dangerous. He might be rash at times, but he is just as capable." The woman in the middle of the trio looked as though she were in late-twenties, but spoke calmly and wisely beyond her years. She wore the robes of a nun, but the way she held her posture, calm but ready to react, prepared for any eventuality without seeming hostile, hinted at her true capabilities. "He is the only one available who would be capable of carrying out this mission. His skill easily surpasses either of yours if I made speak so bluntly."

"I suppose..." The third member of their group agreed halfheartedly.

It was hard for the eldest not to notice. "You sound displeased, Irina-san."

The third member of their group, a girl with chestnut-brown hair tied in twin tails, perked up.

"No no no! Please do not misunderstand!" She said suddenly, feeling flustered. "It's not that I dislike Enzo-sama, it's just that...well..." She played with one of her twin tails nervously. "...I'm somewhat troubled by the way he tends to greet people."

The blue-haired girl cocked her head in confusion. "Eh? What do you mean, Irina?"

Irina stared at her friend incredulously. "It really doesn't bother you how he does _that_ every time we see him, Xenovia?"

"Is it not some sort of training exercise?"

Silence ensued following that question.

"No, Xenovia. No it is not." Irina answered honestly, uncertain if she should have been envious or worried for Xenovia's innocence. While Irina was also a woman of faith, she was not quite as dense when it came to knowledge of _that_. Not an expert, but not ignorant. Instead of addressing the issue, she turned back to their older companion. "Not to be disrespectful, but couldn't you have spoken to Enzo-sama without bringing Xenovia and I along, Griselda-san-I mean "Boss"!" Irina flinched at her unintentional lack of proper respect, addressing their superior so casually.

It was most certainly NOT out of fear when Griselda turned her gaze on Irina despite the soft smile revealing her peaceful intention.

"Simply put, I do not believe Enzo-kun is entirely at ease around me." Griselda explained, unaware of the other two females' shared expression of understanding. "He tried _that_ on me when we first met and, since then, he always looks as though he expects me to try cutting off his hands whenever I meet with him alone. Is that not odd?" She looked back at Irina and Xenovia, who suddenly stiffened.

[Y-Yeah! Definitely odd.]

That is what they said aloud. However, they could not help but gain sympathy for their comrade, Enzo. It was a line between respect and fear that they all held for their superior who could, in fact, easily cut off their hands during a fight. They were all skilled swordsman, but they were nowhere near Griselda's level of skill. However, that still left the same question as before:

"But why did you bring Xenovia and I along?"

The two younger girls felt uneasy after Griselda let out a soft laugh. "Because Enzo-kun won't give much attention unless there is something that interests him, mainly you two." There was more silence following this explanation, Irina and Xenovia taking longer than most to process the words spoken by their older companion.

Irina was the first to realize it. She blushed, pointing an accusing finger at Griselda. "Y-You deceived us! We're bait!"

Griselda made no attempts to deny this accusation. Instead, her expression became genuinely apologetic.

"I am sorry, but it was necessary." Griselda apologized while attempting to justify her actions. "Despite how calmly I have spoken, the mission handed down to me to pass to Enzo-kun is of grave importance. I have normally kept a measured hand when dealing with Enzo-kun, but I must use these methods now. He is the only one present who can be trusted with such a task." She clasped her hands in prayer. "Oh Lord, forgive me for my sinful deceptions."

Xenovia and Irina made a similar gesture with their hands.

[Amen!]

Irina lowered her arms back to their sides, coming to grips with the fact Griselda had no ill intentions in her actions, but rather a slight desperation.

"If I may ask, is the situation so severe that we have to tempt Enzo-sama in such a way?" She asked.

"It is a complicated situation." A vague explanation at best is what the other two of their trio received. Again, Griselda looked apologetic. "The higher members of the Church are attempting to keep the situation quiet so as to prevent a panic and uproar among the other officials, so I am not at liberty to explain it to you. All I can say is that something was stolen, and it is best to discover the culprit and retrieve the stolen item as soon as possible. I doubt that if they were not in such a panic, they would not even consider allowing this child to leave."

And then Griselda gave a complicated expression. An odd mix of pity, anger, and sympathy along with a hint of frustration. However, she quickly hid her expression under a mask of calmness, leaving Irina uncertain if she had even seen anything in the first place. Even if she did, she reasoned, why would Griselda have such an expression on her face?

It was a testament to Enzo's high rank and great importance to both their organization and their God that the officials of the Church would refrain from risking his life by sending him on normal missions. Irina had often found herself asking for forgiveness due to feeling envy at how much of the Lord's love he had. While she was uneasy about Enzo's behavior, she still saw him as a very impressive person and was usually so awed that she couldn't see straight.

 _"Perhaps she was actually angry with the officials for not allowing Enzo to prove his devotion to the Lord."_ This was the reasoning one with such a strict and unwavering faith like Irina's would immediately come to, unquestioning of the decisions and wishes of those who led their organization even when reality was far less pleasant than the blissfully ignorant ideas in the minds of their doctrine's followers.

Only those with more flexible ideology, like Griselda and Xenovia, were able to at least acknowledge that not everything was sunshine and unicorns. And even then, it was only due to Xenovia's relationship with Enzo that she was able to notice it. And her awe wasn't any less than Irina's.

"However, if they used his skills more freely, he ironically would most likely not be available to take this request, would he not?" Xenovia reasoned, finding the situation somewhat funny (in a sad way). "And I was under the impression Enzo did not enjoy leaving his room in the first place. He always seemed reluctant and annoyed the previous times we approached him."

"Perhaps if only he were permitted to be let outside the border more than once every several months..." Xenovia was unable to hear the words her legal guardian had muttered, but the cold expression on Griselda's face put her under the impression that it was best if she hadn't. "Enzo-kun simply needs a little push here and there to move into the field, but the success rate of his missions more than justifies any hassle, especially considering the difficulty of the missions handed down to him. Do you two remember the Fallen Angel Akariel?"

Irina raised her hand, acting like a know-it-all in middle school. "He was one of the former leaders of the Fallen Angels! A lower-ranked officer compared to the Cadres, possessing six wings, but a skilled tactician during the Great War."

Griselda nodded. "Yes. And it was three years ago that he attempted a coup d'etat against the Fallen Angel Governor, attempting to reignite tensions for the war once more. A special request was made to the Church to dispatch one of our own to deal with the situation."

"I don't recall hearing about this." Xenovia said, Irina wearing a confused expression that mirrored hers. "And why would the Church get involved in a Fallen Angel problem in the first place? Should it not be their own concern? If the Fallen Angels attempted to attack the Church, our forces should have been enough to wipe them out-OW!" Xenovia winced in pain as the oldest of the three lashed out with her arm, tightly pinching Xenovia's cheeks, a cold and almost oppressive aura surrounding her.

"And how many do you think would have perished in the conflict?" Griselda asked in a harsh tone, releasing her grip on Xenovia's face. "How many children would have lost parents? How many people would have lost a husband, wife, son, daughter, or a cherished friend? You must think carefully in such situations, Xenovia." Not waiting for Xenovia to respond, she turned away and continued walking down the seemingly never-ending hallway.

The other two members of the group looked at one another curiously before following.

Then, Griselda continued, "So, in the mutual interest of preventing another major conflict, we discreetly agreed and sent one of our most skillful Exorcists under the unrelated claim that a small, rogue group of Fallen Angels were targeting Church facilities."

"Enzo." It made sense to Xenovia that this was the likely answer. It would have had to have been Dulio Gesualdo or Enzo. And Dulio was harder to get into contact with than Enzo. Last anyone had heard, Dulio was somewhere in France, going on a small culinary venture, tasting many different cuisines. "And he succeeded?"

A harsh chill filled the air, Griselda shooting Xenovia a look over her shoulder.

"Enzo-kun was sent alone to deal with coup forces consisting of seven Fallen Angels including Akariel and fifty-three Stray Exorcists." Xenovia tried to imagine it. Oddly, it played in her mind like one of those action movies from the west, a lone warrior standing against an entire army of enemies.

"And he succeeded?" That answer seemed so obvious, but impossible for one man, even if it was Enzo. Then Xenovia thought it over. _"Although...we have not sparred in a great deal of time..._ "

As regrettable as it is, due to Enzo being... _important_ , most are not actually _permitted_ to visit the supposedly monstrous Exorcist in his domain. Many did it anyway, but it was not actually allowed, nor was Enzo allowed outside on a normal basis.

Again, Griselda's expression became serious.

"Not a single one of them laid down their arms..." Griselda paused. "...And there was not a single one of them who left unscathed. Almost half of their numbers were slain in the name of God while the others surrendered unconditionally. Akariel fell during the conflict and Enzo-kun sustained not a single injury. Those who survived came to fear Enzo-kun as a "Demon" and his reputation became as such due to him possessing such power at his young age. Even though the official report swept the truth of the incident under the rug, many rumors still survived."

"I knew he was strong, but to think that our leaders think of Enzo-sama so highly..." It was one thing for an Exorcist to be sent on a highly dangerous mission. It was quite another thing to be sent on a highly dangerous mission where the truth had to be covered up. Greater responsibility in both completing the mission and keeping the truth in the name of peace and in the name of God. "But aren't you breaking the rules by telling us this when you previously said you could not reveal the secrets of the Church by telling us the details behind Enzo-sama's mission?"

Griselda let out a humorless laugh. "What I told you is hardly a well-kept secret. And that danger had come and passed, but the storm that is approaching us, testing our faith and our Lord, is of even greater danger. That is why what I have to say is to remain within this place and only in front of Enzo-kun."

Then she stopped. It was so sudden that Xenovia almost bumped into her before managing to catch herself.

"We're here." Griselda announced.

They were in a large circular room, a total of twelve columns, each adorned with a holy cross, at the edges, holding up the dome-shaped ceiling. The floors were pearly white and so clean that it would have been no exaggeration to say one could have eaten off of them. A dozen portraits lined the walls, each depicting an image of of a Saint or popular Apostle. It was artwork so skillfully done that one would believe the Pope himself made this place his home.

Xenovia mused about the time when Enzo first laid eyes on this room. He had called it "disgustingly blatant indoctrination by advertisement". He laughed afterwards and Xenovia gave him this blank stare. He explained that it was a phrase he had picked up while in America while on a mission. He had promised to take her there someday.

And yet he had what many in the Church would call a home suited for royalty. Xenovia truly could not understand him sometimes. Her belief was flexible but his was just outright strange.

In the center of the room was an incredibly massive set of doors, at least ten feet wide and stretching from the floor to the ceiling. It had a rather simple design, but it's massive size more than compensated for the lack of grandeur.

Xenovia remembered another time Enzo joked that people might think he was trying to "compensate for something else". Again, she failed to understand his words, but he seemed amused by it. It was nice to see him with a pleasant smile on his face rather than the usual indifference or cocky look he wore.

FLASH!

"Xenovia!"

The lights in the room suddenly increased their intensity, blinding everyone in the room before they all shut off simultaneously. Xenovia immediately reached out, ready to grasp her blade before her hand halted at her waist, Xenovia resisting the urge to curse in this holy place, having left her sword behind. Weapons were forbidden beyond the entrance except those in the possession of Enzo.

A safety precaution that left them at the mercy of almost any assassin who slipped past security.

For a brief moment, Xenvoia considered bringing out her _true_ weapon until a firm hand came to rest on her shoulder. She was halfway prepared to toss whoever had touched her, only giving pause when she noticed it was Griselda's, giving silent thanks to God that she had not incurred the wrath of the one person she found more fearsome than the Yondai-Maous by unknowingly assaulting her guardian. Griselda had a very high boiling point, but even when she wasn't angry, or upset, her punishments were severe.

The last person who truly angered Griselda Quarta...

She hadn't even needed to lay a single hand on them to break their minds. It was terrifying.

Suffice to say, Xenovia's tenth birthday had been...unique.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Irina asked, approaching the two. Xenovia was just as surprised as she was. This hadn't happened the previous times they had come to this place. It wasn't a normal occurrence. "Is it a power outage?"

Griselda shook her head, the way she behaved so calmly surprising the other two. "No. All is well."

Immediately after she said this, an odd mist began to appear out of thin air, quickly spreading across the ground to the point where the trio couldn't even see their own feet in front of them. The more time passed, the more difficult it became to even see the magnificent portraits that lined the now-shrouded walls around them.

"Griselda, should we fall back or push forward?" Xenovia asked, alert and every muscle in her lean, well-trained body ready to react to any external threat. And still, Griselda showed no worry or any sign of concern for the countless ways they could have been attacked in that situation.

"Just stay put." The command brokered no room for argument. "Truly, his method of greeting has only become more impolite."

Before Xenovia could question her further, the ground below them started to quake albeit as less than a minor tremble. Having trained for years in the art of combat, it was child's play, staying up straight as the ground tried to shake them off-balance. The massive door in front of them started to slowly swing open. Xenovia only noticed this because the mist was parted around that area, revealing a murky darkness that lied beyond.

But that was not what sent chills down her spine.

It was the pair of glowing, blood-red dots within that murky darkness. Eyes.

Xenovia could only imagine was sort of creature owned those eyes. For her, it had to be a Vampire or a Devil. Only a creature of such evil origins would cower from the light. The only question was how to proceed-

Then the ground started shaking again.

[FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS I HAVE SLUMBERED!]

A booming, inhuman voice filled the air, almost breaking Xenovia's ear drums even after she tried covering her ears, Irina experiencing similar discomfort judging from the pain on her expression.

[ANSWER ME, FOOLISH MORTALS! WHO DARES-!]

"While it has been mildly entertaining, isn't it time to put an end to this childish game, Enzo-kun?"

Irina and Xenovia's eyes widened as they stared at the older woman, her arms crossed while she wore an expression similar to that of a scolding mother (although only someone with a death wish would describe her as old enough to be "mother").

There was a long pause.

[ _S-Signorina-_ I-I mean _-_ Griselda?!]

A new voice, significantly more human and incredibly different from the first that spoke addressed Griselda. There was the sound of coughing, the owner of the voice having noticeably needed to switch between accents. Xenovia and Irina stood there, waiting for around three minutes before the speaker seemed to collect themselves.

[Uh...So...What's up, Gris?]

The voice spoke more awkwardly than before, seeming uncertain as to the purpose of this conversation.

"I see you've made some...changes." Griselda noted, gesturing to the mist, the giant doors, and, of course, the glowing red "eyes" that still seemed to follow them.

There was a small laugh. [Yeah, you wouldn't believe what they let me get away when it comes to this place!]

"Really?"

[I can get away with anything other than taking down the paintings and crucifixes! Haha!]

There was another round of laughter from the speaker, but it was quite clear from its intensity that his laughter was forced. Xenovia could imagine the voice's owner sitting in his room, staring awkwardly at some microphone in front of him.

Griselda pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. "It is an unfortunate waste of resources in that you use so much simply to terrify our younger priests and Exorcists. There have been numerous complaints about your behavior, Enzo-kun."

[Right! Uh...I'll keep that in mind, so...bye!]

Another silence.

[...You're not leaving, are you? I haven't gotten cameras installed yet, but I'm assuming that you haven't left yet.]

"No, we have not." Griselda confirmed, unwavering. "I have important business to discuss with you, Enzo. I have been sent to deliver a new mission to you."

[Yeah-I'm gonna pass on that. Or as the Japanese would say it: Passū! None da mission fuh me, Gris-chan!]

"Hey, I take offense to that!" Irina suddenly piped up, looking thoroughly insulted. "As a Japanese woman, I take great offense to that! I could take you to court for that offensive impersonation! May the Lord judge you harshly! Amen!"

[Wait wait wait! Is that Irina?!]

Irina flinched, looking as though she realized her slip-up. She could have gone through the entire confrontation unnoticed if only she hadn't spoken. She cursed her Japanese pride and then spoke a silent prayer, begging for forgiveness for her sin.

She turned to face Griselda, her elder nodding. Irina sighed before shortly putting on a nervous smile. "H-Hey, Enzo-sama!"

[Hahaha! It's been a while! How you doin'?! Is Xen there, too?!]

The mirth in his voice was fairly hard to miss, Enzo speaking to them with a tone that was much more energetic than what he used when speaking to Griselda.

"Yes." Xenovia confirmed, smiling calmly and far more naturally than Irina. It did not escape Griselda that Xenovia was actually _happy_ to see their comrade. "I apologize for not visiting for so long, Enzo, but circumstances and various missions taking me abroad have-"

[Circumstance, shmircumstances! It's good to hear from you, chick! Glad to see none of my favorite people got decapitated by a pissed-off Devil or Fallen Angel nor drunk dry by a bloodthirsty Vamp!...Well, not yet anyway...]

He punctuated the end of his sentence with another awkward pause.

[ANYWAY, you should've just said you were there with Gris! Hold on a sec! I'll buzz you in!]

BZZZZZZZT!

There was, indeed, a buzz that resonated through the air, the sound of gears turning and mechanisms unlocking filling the silence that followed said buzzing. Then there was the sound of ventilation fans doing their thing, all of the blinding mist in the air quickly being vented out of the room, allowing the three Exorcists of the Church to once again be able to gaze at the marvelous objects the room had to offer.

The three visitors turned their eyes back towards the massive doors that opened before them.

Behind those doors...was a significantly smaller door. Like the front door of a house. There was even a mat on the floor in front of the door that read "Welcome Home". Another home-y touch.

However, the atmosphere was hardly welcoming considering the completely concrete foundation around the door. So it was more like a welcoming front door for a prison than a house. Above the door were two glowing red light bulbs, the "eyes" the trio had seen in the darkness.

The lights quickly blinked out before relighting, this time glowing a bright-green color.

[Alright! You're free to come in!]

Griselda was the first to move, grasping the door knob in her hand, twisting and pushing inward with the same calm and collected disposition she had had since they had first entered. Xenovia entered through the door after her. Irina entered with the same reluctant expression on her face, noticeably less cheerful than her companions.

The room they entered was pitch-black, even darker than the room they previously exited.

Irina parted from the door, taking a cautious stance behind Xenovia. The darkness was even creepier than it was before, emphasized by the smaller space and fewer places to hide in case of a sudden attack.

It was eerie.

"Enzo-kun, you may come out now." Griselda said aloud to no one in particular. "Or turn on the lights. There's no reason to stir up trouble now is there?"

Even in that darkness, Xenovia could _feel_ the expression Griselda wore, one that threatened severe punishment towards anyone who crossed her.

SLAM!

The least enthusiastic member of their group let out a girlish squeak as the door behind them suddenly shut, plunging the group into even deeper darkness. Irina took several deep breaths, remembering all of her training, the most important lesson of which being to keep calm in a strenuous situation. Stress and fear would impede one's physical and mental responses to danger.

"E-Enzo-sama, this isn't funny!" Irina tried and failed to keep the nervousness out of her voice. Then she felt something brush up against her arm. "Eek!" She prepared to strike when a hand tightly clutched her arm.

"Irina, calm down!" Xenovia's voice hissed. "It's me!"

The muscles in Irina's body finally relaxed, taking great relief in the feeling of having her most trusted comrade by her side. The specifics of their beliefs were different, but they followed the same God and were, in fact, close friends.

"Alright, so you're here...Griselda-san?" There was no response. Irina felt a chill go down her spine.

"Griselda?" Xenvoia called out, equally surprised by the lack of response. Both girls suddenly tensed, their bodies responding immediately to the situation at hand.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Xenovia saw something...something moved.

"Be careful, Irina." The blue-haired girl warned. "There's no telling-MMPH!" A hand suddenly covered Xenovia's mouth, the girl's eyes going wide moments before she was ripped out of Irina's grasp and dragged into the darkness.

"Xenovia!" Irina called out, reaching out only to grasp empty air. The more she considered what could be lurking about, the more on-edge she became. But she refused to break down. "Hello?!" Her instincts screamed at her, realizing it before she could think.

Then she saw it. The hand that was lunging towards her.

She tried raising her own arms to defend herself, her eyes involuntarily squinting shut as she braced for the blow but she was too late. Her attacker was too close. He was-

"Pat pat!"

She opened her eyes again, but found no hand or fist in front of her. No speeding object preparing to injure her.

"The training really shows here...hm!"

Instead there was a hand gently patting and squeezing her...

"Well, Iri, good to see your body is still in amazing shape...and texture. Ukukukuku!"

...on her butt.

Irina stared ahead, eyes half-lidded as she slowly came to figure out what was going on. The hand on her butt was casually yet thoroughly patting and squeezing her butt, groping her without a care.

Whether it was shock or because she didn't want to risk hurting herself on some unseen object by randomly punching or kicking in the darkness. As a Christian, she wished to make him stop and gently grant him forgiveness...

But as a woman, she felt the instinctual desire to beat him senseless.

"...E-Enzo-sama..." Irina couldn't help but clench her fists by her side, trembling. "...c-could you please stop that?"

The groping ceased and Irina could sense her groper looking up at her. "Well boo. You're no fun." The owner of the perverted hand complained before withdrawing. "I thought it would be like last time and you would do that whole "swinging madly" thing where I casually avoid and continued. It's no fun when you give up so soon."

"I-I r-refuse to play your childish games, Enzo-sama!" Irina replied, containing her annoyance.

"Aw, but I like playing our games~ Every individual reaction is comedy gold in my eyes." This time, two hands reached out and groped both sides of her butt. "Besides, Xenovia didn't seem to mind playing."

"Xenovia's not normal!"

"Well, "normal _"_ doesn't typically describe people who slay Devils like you and I, Irina."

"Xenovia?" Irina called out. "You're alright?"

"Of course she is!" Enzo agreed from behind her, once again ceasing his perverted activities. He sounded somewhat insulted. "What did you think happened? There's only us in here. It's not like I'm some kind of perverted psychopath!"

"N-Right! Right!"

"You...You kind of hesitated there..." The unseen Enzo received no response from Irina. "...Ouch. That wounds me Irina. It really does...Let me grope your boobs as an apology~!"

"No!" Irina screamed at him, shooting him a sharp glare...or she thought she was glaring in his direction.

"Xen doesn't mind it when I grope _her_ boobs as punishment for failing her exercise!" Enzo complained, sounding like a child who was asking to borrow a toy. "This will drive you to do better next time! Improvement through humiliation is what I say~!"

"I am sorry I have yet to succeed in your training exercises, Enzo." Xenovia apologized from somewhere in the darkness. "As usual, my guard has so many chinks in it. I hope you can continue helping me improve myself."

"Hahaha!" Enzo laughed aloud, filling up the darkness with sound. However, there was a lewd and perverted undertone to his voice. "No problem! No problem at all!"

"Don't trust him, Xenovia! He's just trying to grope my butt!" Irina cried, trying to make her friend see common sense.

"Huh?" Irina squinted through the darkness, trying to make out any other figure in the darkness. Her eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness. She could just barely make out another person in the darkness. "But Enzo always touches my chest as punishment...If he only punishes us solely to grope your butt, why would he also grope my breasts...? Vanity is a sin, Irina."

"That isn't the point!"

"Irina's right, Xen!" Enzo agreed. "I have to give you different punishments since you'll experience shame and humiliation exclusive to the individual! I grope Irina's butt and your breasts to help your lessons sink in!"

"Ah." Xenovia said, an understanding tone in her voice. "Thank you for your clever teaching, Enzo."

"That was a lie too!" Irina screamed at her. "Don't fall for something so obvious!"

Enzo gave another round of laughter, taking great enjoyment in the current situation.

"Hey hey-" He cut himself off abruptly. He let out a long "Hmmmmm", sounding as though he was scanning the room despite being as blind as they were. "Come to think of it...where's Gris? I haven't grop-I mean "bumped into her" yet..."

"That's right!" Irina started looking around the room, not risking stepping around in the darkness and tripping over something. "So you've harassed me and Xenovia, but Griselda hasn't said a peep since everything went dark! Griselda? Griselda?!"

Again, Irina felt a wave of irritation as Enzo casually pat her on the bottom.

"Calm your tits, sis." Enzo said in a rather crude attempt at calming Irina down. "I'm sure she's stumbling around here somewhere...doing something...Dear God she's looking for the light isn't she?"

"As a matter of fact," A familiar voice cut in, the world suddenly turning white as Irina found herself blinded by a bright light, "yes."

It took a few seconds for Irina's eyes to adjust, using her hands to rub the corner of her eyes and soothe the stinging pain caused by the sudden change in lightning before she dared to risk looking around herself, seeing the room she was in perfectly illuminated by the ceiling fan light bulb hanging above them.

Finally possessing enough ease to turn around without falling over, Irina turned to face her assaulter, taking deep relief when Xenovia's form passed by her field of vision. She turned her head downward, the older boy who groped her still kneeling on the ground, his hand outstretched in another attempt at perversion.

Standing behind him was an older woman, a woman whose anger embodied death.

Griselda placed a deceivingly calm, gentle hand on Enzo's shoulder, causing he younger boy to tense nervously. Sweat was pouring down the boy's face in waterfalls as he slowly turned to face his addressor.

"Don't you think you have been playing for a bit too long, Enzo-kun?" She asked with a humorless smile on her face.

"Ah...hahahaha..." Enzo swallowed nervously. "Uh, I guess I-"

But Irina had lost her patience.

"Hiyaaaaaaaaaaa!" Irina brought her leg around, driving her foot hard into the side of the older boy's face, sending him flying into an adjacent wall, the force of the impact creating a loud, almost unpleasant cracking sound.

The young man just stuck there, flat against the wall.

Griselda stared passively, arms crossed. "Are you prepared to hear what I have to say now?"

The boy stuck to the wall pulled away one trembling hand.

"Gris...I think...I'm prepared to listen now..."

And then he fell back from the wall onto the ground.

"...I have...no regrets..."

* * *

The young man known as Enzo sat cross-legged on a bed on the opposite side of the room that he called his own.

With all of the lights now on, the true appearance of the room in which the three females stood was horribly out-of-place when compared to the chamber outside. Rather than the glamour or religious beauty that one would expect from someone who had such a place constructed just for him, they found a normal room for a normal teenage boy. He had a computer, a TV along with a Play Station 3, a bed, an adjacent bathroom, and even a mini-fridge fully stocked with snacks. To a person of faith and follower of the Church doctrine, this room would have been considered wasteful, sinful, and practically blasphemous for a facility under the control of the Holy Church.

Enzo sat on his bed, crossing his arms over his chest with a pensive expression on his face. He could have almost been considered serious if not for the comically large bump on his head.

The rest of his appearance just did not sit right with Irina. Rather than normal Church garb such as robes or the battle suit the Exorcists wear, he wore a red shirt along with an open, very-loose-looking, blue dress shirt over it as well as blue jeans and sneakers. His brown hair was unkept and had a rather scruffy appearance while it was difficult to discern the color of his eyes due to the fact he didn't seem to ever open them, typically keeping them in a squinting-like position. Around his neck, he wore a pair of goggles with red lens.

An appearance that did not fit his position as an Exorcist.

Enzo stared passively despite the fear-inducing physical punishments administered by the duo consisting or Irina and Griselda only mere minutes ago.

"Well then..." He started off. He took a deep breath, holding it for several seconds before releasing. "...OK, now that my nostalgia boner is gone, what can I do for you lovely ladies?"

Irina was the only one who expressed any embarrassment or unease at the crude choice of words chosen by her senior Exorcist. Xenovia showed so little reaction that Irina was almost jealous of her ignorance of sexual harassment. Griselda continued the entire meeting with the same calm atmosphere around her.

"I believe I have already explained to you the reasons as to why we're here." Griselda responded. "You are requested to perform another service in the name of the Lord, Enzo-kun. That is to-"

"Ububup!" Enzo raised one hand, making a series of noises to interrupt Griselda. "I'm gonna stop you right there and give my answer right now." He coughed into his fist, clearing his throat in a series of drawn-out and unnecessary hacking sounds. He licked his lips to moisten them and took several deep breaths. After a total of five minutes, he opened his mouth to speak. "Uh-No. I'm gonna pass on giving God some service."

With that, Enzo kicked up his legs, turned his body around and laid flat on his bed, arms behind his head and one leg crossed over the other.

"But you have to!" Irina piped up, stepping forward. She could not figure out how a servant of God with an impressive reputation like Enzo's could just reject a direct request of the higher-ups. "Why do you not wish to give service to our glorious Lord?"

"Because I don't feel like it~" Enzo replied in a patronizing voice. "Unless it's to a beautiful woman, I have no intention of giving _any_ kind of _service_ to anyone unless I feel like it." Then he looked as though he thought of something. "Hey, speaking of which, Xen, you're free, right?" His lecherous smile belied the true intent of his question.

Xenovia tilted her head on confusion. "For the moment...Why?"

"Mmmmmm!" Irina glared at Enzo, growling.

"Geez! I'm just _kidding_! You really need to get a sense of humor, Iri." Enzo casually waved off her irritation, showing no concern for his comrade's thoughts towards his words. "Anyway, just because God calls on us, it doesn't mean we have to answer. We may be servants, but we are not mindless dogs."

Irina opened her mouth to retort, angered by Enzo's disrespect towards God.

However, it was Griselda who beat her to the punch.

"Speak whatever you must of your youthful desires," Griselda said, "but refrain from speaking ill of those who gladly devote themselves to God. I will neither condemn nor praise your views, but don't forget that you are human, just like the rest of us no matter who your family is."

For a brief moment, remorse crossed Enzo's expression, fading away just as quickly.

"That...That's not what my intent was...I'm not saying I'm superior to others coz of blood ties.." The mirth in his voice sounded slightly less genuine. "Just sayin' that I shouldn't have to jump at the chance to fulfill whatever "divine mission" those geezers give me."

"Need I remind you that those "geezers" are the ones who have trained our brothers and sisters since their own days of youth?" Griselda asked rhetorically. "Need I remind you that these "geezers" are the very people who are given permission to speak directly with the blessed Angels and God, the divine beings who are the center of our organization and faith?"

"And need I remind _you_ that these geezers are the reason I'm down here, forbidden to leave without their permission like I'm some kind of pet?"

Silence ensued once again.

"..." Enzo's expression became bitter. Even when he smiled, the bitterness was fairly obvious. "As I said, I have no interest. The only reason they're sending me is because they're too impatient to send anyone else. I'm sick of this country and these people. I honestly am and would very much prefer to stay here in this dungeon so I don't have to suffer being stuck outside within their territory. So thank you and come again."

Irina gave Enzo a very disapproving look. He was her friend (sort-of), but she could never stand the disrespectful way he spoke of their faith, their order, or their God. He was allied with them, but always acted so pessimistically and coldly about every thing they said to them, usually expressing some attitude.

She expected Griselda to give him some more disciplining, but Irina was surprised as to what she saw instead.

Griselda was staring at the boy with more pitying eyes, the same kind she had before. Understanding.

"Then perhaps I have forgotten that this mission is to be handled _abroad_?" Griselda offered, taking a less strict tone. For some reason, Enzo's words seemed to have made her sad. Perhaps, Irina thought, it was something only those older than her could understand.

Regardless of the reason, Griselda's previous question caused Enzo to perk up, seeming more attentive than he had been before. He tried to hide it as a child would, feigning disinterest, but it was clear by the fact that he was listening again at all that Griselda had gotten through to him.

However, Enzo quickly turned his head away. "I still don't care." He rolled over on his side, facing away from them.

"What exactly is that-"

Enzo raised a hand to cut her off. "Look, I don't want to hear another word from any of your mouths unless they're "Kiss me, Enzo~"."

 _"How about "Face judgment, sinner!"!"_ Irina screeched mentally, her face flushing again as yet another result of Enzo's perversion. Again, she regretted not bringing any crosses, holy water, or holy swords to exorcise whatever perverse being had possessed the body of someone they referred to as an "Exorcist".

Enzo still looked severely tempted though. Even Xenovia had been able to see that. It was rare that he was sent on missions that took him anywhere past the bordering countries at best. Despite the confident expression he wore, Enzo was incredibly tempted to say yes. If not his room, then he would have preferred to be anywhere else that wasn't Italy. He did not hate the Vatican per se, but after spending many years of his life here while others could travel the entire world as they pleased, it made him envious. It also opened his eyes to just how stagnating his home was, especially since his own world outside of missions consisted of an underground building.

It was clear from the expression on Griselda's face that she was not finished quite yet.

She glanced at Irina and Xenovia over her shoulder. "Could you two please leave us for a moment?" Enzo turned his head curious as the words came out of the older woman's mouth.

A nod was Irina's immediate reaction, relieved of the paranoid feeling that Enzo was staring at her breasts. Xenovia, on the other hand, looked slightly more reluctant, turning her gaze from her friend to her sword master. The small 5% of her that possessed the feelings of a normal teenage girl left her with the desire to remain. While she didn't understand it, she still knew what the feeling in her chest was asking her to do.

Realizing the long pause from Xenovia, Enzo turned back around and waved her off.

"Relax, it's not like she's going to eat my head...in either sense of the phrase unfortunately." Enzo gave his usual perverted smirk, leaving Xenovia with the sense he had said something lecherous again like how Irina told her he did even if she was not quite sure what he was talking about. "Go on, Xen."

With another glance at Enzo, Xenovia turned around and followed Irina out the door to wait in the chamber outside.

Enzo sighed, sitting up on his bed and letting his legs dangle over the side, laying his arms in his lap. "I'm not getting rid of this, am I?" It was fairly obvious from Enzo's perspective that Griselda would only have sent two of the few people Enzo actually knew because she intended to be more stubborn than him. So he mentally prepared himself for the most aggressive discussion/scolding of his life.

"I wanted them to leave so I could tell you the reason I most believe would capture your attention." Enzo immediately gained a new interest due to Griselda's choice of words. "I don't want them to know the truth behind what is happening. It's important to the safety of our faith that none other than specific people learn of the mission you were assigned."

"So it's so important that the Church had to lie to everyone...again, huh?" Enzo noted, taking a deep breath. "Alright, that one was a bit unfair. I'll admit to that..." He took another deep breath. "Tell me, what is the mission anyway...you said it would capture my attention?"

Griselda continued to stare passively. "..."

She looked as though she deeply wished to say something. Griselda Quarta may have been a dutiful woman with a deep loyalty to her faith, but she was not cold. The boy before her was like a little brother. She had known him since he was little, almost as long as she had known Xenovia, both of them being people she cherished deeply. She was well-aware of the difficulties Enzo faced considering his unique situation. It troubled her to see such a difficult expression on his face, but at same time, she knew her duty to the Church. She could only continue praying for him and guide him in the only way she could. There was nothing else she could do for him short of defying the Church itself and the will of the Heavens.

And such a path would only result in mutual misery.

"Your mission is of great importance." Griselda restated.

"How bad?" Enzo asked, uncertain what Griselda could have to say that would interest him of all people, the one who had the least interest in the affairs of the Church.

"One of the Excaliburs were stolen."

Enzo raised his head, surprise coloring his face. "Oh...that is bad." He knew much about the Excaliburs. They were seven Holy Swords forged from the fragments of the original Holy Sword wielded by King Arthur, the original having been broken to pieces during the Great War between the three factions. Even reborn as seven new blades, Excalibur was still one of the greatest weapons of the Church. "...Who in God's name would have been ballsy enough to try something like that?"

For once, Griselda showed genuine hesitation. Not out of fear or distrust...

But worry.

And Enzo did not miss this.

He leaned forward, a far more serious expression on his face. "Gris...who was it?"

The holy woman closed her eyes, pensive. "En," Enzo frowned, seeing even more of the hidden worry Griselda held. "En" was what she always used to call him when he was younger. She only used it nowadays when she was speaking not as her position as an Exorcist, but as a person who truly cared for him, "you will have to promise to be strong. Be careful."

"Gris..." She sounded as though she knew his answer would already be yes as a response to the identity she would reveal.

"No matter what, even if your relation is strained, hold true to your faith. Remember Xenovia, Irina, and your grandfather-"

"Gris!" Enzo raised his voice harshly for the first time. "Who was it...?"

Again, Griselda hesitated.

"Kokabiel."

The air in the room suddenly grew colder. Whatever calmness or humor had existed in Enzo's expression was completely gone.

Now there was nothing. Absolutely blank.

Just that one name had caused such a reaction in the usually outspoken child Griselda knew.

She could empathize. Despite being a mere child, Enzo had been forced to carry great expectations on his own two shoulders. Expectations he never asked for, that forced him to face horrific things that would have made even Griselda make a thousand prayers in the hopes of forgetting. As Exorcists, they were to face death almost every day in the name of their God. But even by their standards, Enzo had received the harshest treatment.

The name she uttered was liking shooting a bullet straight through his heart, igniting many memories of things Enzo had always refused to speak of. Even to Irina and Xenovia, who were two of the few he was close enough to to refer to as his friends, Enzo refused to even speak of what had happened, but the name "Kokabiel" always put him in this state.

A silence that belied his hidden rage, suppressed only by morality, reason, and common sense.

He tightly gripped his knees, biting his lower lip. He looked as though he wanted to say a lot of things, few of them pleasant, but held his tongue.

He must have switched between shock, pain, and anger at least a dozen times.

In the end, he heaved a great, deep breath, venting his frustrations out with his breathing.

"I see..." With no other words, he kicked up his legs again and laid back down on his bed, appearing bored despite his previous expressions. Griselda wasn't sure whether to be suspicious or relieved.

"Are you alright?"

Enzo raised his head. "Hm? About Kokabiel? What about it?...I don't know what you expect." But Griselda's face told him that wasn't all there was to it. "You're worried about what I might do if I encounter someone related to him, aren't you?"

Griselda remained silent again.

"I know what he's done to me, but going after him for something petty like revenge makes me no better than he is." Enzo reasoned, letting out another sigh as he tried to disguise the twitch of his eyebrows. "Don't get me wrong. Every part of me wants to shove a Demon Sword down his throat and a Holy Sword straight up the place where the sun don't shine, but I'm not going to dirty the names of the people who suffered coz of him with selfish actions."

The older woman could only scan his face, searching for any sign of deception. However, he outright admitted his true feelings. If he went that far, there would have been no point in hiding further hostile intentions.

Enzo was many things: A flirt, a pervert, reckless, sometimes foolish, but he was not dishonest. He was blunt and painfully truthful.

"Very well then." All Griselda could do was do as she was told and have faith in her comrade. "As I said before, Kokabiel has managed to steal one of the Church's six remaining Excaliburs."

"OK, I got that." Enzo confirmed. "What I really want to know is why the Church doesn't blow the whistle on him and demand the Fallen Angels return it? Surely even the Devils would take our side in this matter. Nobody wants a weapon as dangerous as Excalibur in their hands. We exterminate Devils, sure, but at least we're honest about it. Someone like Kokabiel is literally the WORST possible owner of any of the Excaliburs even if it's just one." He could not hide an added amount of spite in his voice.

As usual, though, the most simple solution would not prove plausible. "It is not as easy as that." Griselda stated. "While we have evidence of Kokabiel's involvement, it is circumstantial at best and, with tensions as high as they are, would do nothing but promote even more skirmishes between our respective groups. Our best option is to hide the fact of its disappearance and take it back from Kokabiel's allies before others learn of our loss."

"Ah...so it's an assassination and retrieval then?" The brown-haired young man sighed to himself.

"No." Griselda shook her head. "They do not want you to even remotely involve yourself with Kokabiel if you can avoid it. Your primary objective is uncovering information on the whereabouts of the stolen Holy Sword and relaying the information back to Vatican. If you see the opportunity to retrieve the Excalibur, then it would be most convenient, but there is no reason for you to risk yourself."

With a small grunt, Enzo pushed himself back into a sitting position yet again, appearing as though he was an ADHD child hopped up on sugar, unable to decide how he wants to sit.

"Alright, Gris..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "...I'm in. I'm too invested in this story now. I would really love to see how it ends~" Finally, for better or for worse, a familiar, immature, perverted smile appeared on the young Exorcist's face. "Kufufufu! Who knows! Maybe I'll get lucky and meet a foreign chick~ I can only imagine what type of babes they have in..." He trailed off, the same stupid smile on his face with his mouth half-open. He frowned, looking more curious than confused. "That reminds me...where _am_ I going? Do they even know where Kokabiel's operatives are or am I winging this bitch?"

"They know better than to leave you on your own like that again." It was clear from Griselda's tone that she had rather a pessimistic idea on what would happen if the Church EVER let Enzo conduct an investigation on his own ever again...there were so many complaints. So many law suits and fines that had to be paid for. It was truthfully surprising that _that_ hadn't been the actual reason for Enzo being confined to his room. At least then, it would have had some fair reason to it rather than the true reason.

"Fair enough." The worst part was that even Enzo could not fully disagree with their reasoning. "So where am I off to, Gris?"

"You're to be sent to a city known as "Kuoh Town"."

""Kuoh Town"...?" For some reason, that name rang a bell. He knew he had never been to such a place before, but the name sounded oddly familiar. It was at the tip of his tongue but he just couldn't put his finger on it.

Luckily, Griselda quickly put his curiosity to rest. "It would make sense if you knew the name. Perhaps you learned it during a casual conversation with Irina. After all, it was her home town."

Enzo perked up. "Irina's hometown...?"

"Yes. The place she was born in and lived in before being sent England for her training." Griselda explained.

"Does that mean...?"

"Yes." Griselda confirmed. "You're going to Japan."

* * *

 **So marks the birth of my newest "child", Enzo (Surname Redacted for Plot Purposes)!**

 **And...I think that's it for the prologue. I've checked this thing twice and I don't THINK there are any more errors, but anyone who notices a slip-up is welcome to point it out.**

 **Also...while I have basic ideas in mind, I wouldn't mind hearing everyone else's thoughts on who should be in Enzo's harem. Let the people speak!**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	2. 1:I Just Ain't A Normal Transfer Student

**Sorry this took so long. Took a long time for me to figure out where and how to start this!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but Enzo! Highschool DxD is the property of Ichiei Ishibumi and all those anime guys who ruined volumes 5-7 with Highschool DxD BorN. Sairaorg and Ravel should have appeared more, goddammit!-Ahem!...On with the story...**

* * *

Chapter 1

Sorry, Babe, I Just Ain't A Normal Transfer

What was the first thought that came to mind when I stepped off that train?

Cold.

It was absolutely freezing outside, befitting the winter seasons, I suppose. Spring was still a few months off, so I could only hope that I would be able to finish my business in that town before I froze to death. I was not really a fan of cold weather really. I was always the type to stay inside on snow days...Well, I was always inside period, but I wouldn't have cared either way when it came to snow days and that's almost crazy coming from a freedom-loving guy like me.

I couldn't help but sigh. I _was_ the one who was normally complaining about being locked up all day for indefinite amounts of time. I _did_ always ask to be let out. Sure it was usually only for missions and other requests, but at least I was let out at some point even if it was to the protest of many people. If the higher-ups had their way, they would have locked me up and thrown away the key under the guise of "protection". In the end, they all looked out for their own sorry behinds. They neither trusted me nor did they wish to incur the wrath of a _certain few individuals_ who would have been less than thrilled to see me dead, so locking me up was about all they could do.

And whenever they had a problem they could not handle or if all capable operatives were out, THAT was when I was allowed out of my cage, trying to coerce me with the usual Church doctrine of "You have been called to the Lord's service" or "Smite down these heretics in the name of God-yadda yadda yadda". Stuff like that. That was the way they used people when it was convenient for them.

The only difference between a Church official and a politician was that they had the "mandate of God".

Rubbing my hands together was about the only other way for me to keep my hands remotely warm. Perhaps the only good thing to having an underground dungeon all to myself other than being a (albeit ironic) refuge from all of the bullshit politics was that I could adjust the temperature as I pleased.

I was glad I brought a winter jacket with me rather than the robes of the Church Exorcists. Not only would I have still been freezing with such breezy clothing, but I would have stuck out like a sore thumb even without the "battle suit" that was probably designed by some kinky sex shop owner.

Seriously, those things chafed. It probably wasn't a big deal for the girls, but when it came to men, it was pretty uncomfortable to wear since it chafed in all of the most unpleasant places.

Preparations were half-assed and errors were made, but at least I was somewhat dressed for the weather, wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and pants, but I regretted not bringing more with me when I had the chance. It had been summer last time I had been let out, so I severely underestimated how bitter a cold night could be on my skin. I had been so excited for traveling abroad that I rushed things a bit too quickly.

A pair of goggles swung from my neck, being pushed back and forth by my finger as I absentmindedly observed my surroundings.

Japan was a foreign country to me in all meanings of the word.

The traditional culture was what I felt would give me the biggest trouble when I landed at the airport earlier. There were so many rules and traditions that I wasn't sure what information to absorb and what to throw away. I got some tips and pointers from Irina even though it had been a while since she had revisited her roots, so at the very least, my crash course would suffice until I found my lodging and learned more of what I was getting myself into.

Grabbing the handle of my traveler's bag, I pushed forward, trying to put my annoyance towards the ice-cold chill at the back of my mind. I had bought a map at the train station. It had been from my lovely dungeon-I mean-"home" to the airport, to Japan, taking a bus to the train station, and then taking a train all the way to Kuoh Town. I had thought that my troubles were over.

As it turned out, maps in Japan were pretty useless when you couldn't read Japanese.

I could read and speak English, Latin, German, Spanish, Mandarin, (of course) Italian, French, Greek, and Hebrew.

Japanese was not on the list of languages I could read.

So I did the most natural thing that any normal man in my situation would (not) do in my situation: I walked up to the next person I saw and decided to ask for directions.

It was a man, clearly a citizen of the town. I did not know many Japanese people other than Irina, so I could only hope I was not offending him with whatever lack of knowledge of Japanese culture. "Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to know where the residential area was, would you?"

The man seemed surprised. Perhaps it was because of my foreign appearance that he didn't expect it, the fact that I said all of that in perfect Japanese.

While it may be confusing, I was someone who learned languages verbally with incredible ease. I knew how to _speak_ Japanese, just not how to _read_ it. It was never about lacking mental capacity, but rather, it had been about lacking the time to properly learn the Japanese letters, words, and their various usages.

The man took notice of my map and gestured me to show it to him. The paper unfolded neatly in front of us, the man tracing lines and drawings on the map. "You start from here and..." He continued to speak to me, pointing out various markings and directions on the map until his finger finally came to rest on a single point on the map, tapping it twice to make a point. "...and you should be there."

Nodding, I accepted my map back from him, folding up the paper and shoving it back into my pocket. I bowed politely to the man, thanking him for the assistance before walking away.

From what I observed so far, Japan seemed like a rather boring place.

With the severity of the mission I had been given, I rather expected the train to have been bombed on the way to town. A bit of an overkill exaggeration, perhaps, but when it came to my missions, things rarely ever went smoothly like they had been thus far. Especially considering the fact that a person like Kokabiel had been in the mix, I expected to have had at least several assassination attempts on my life just on the way there.

After all, I knew Kokabiel. He was the kind of guy who knew nothing about secrecy or stealth. He was one flashy bastard who liked showing off almost as much as he liked murdering members of non-Fallen Angel species.

The only explanations I could come up with was that either Kokabiel did not have good surveillance in this town, he didn't have enough operatives or resources to keep 24/7 watch on people entering or leaving town, or he just considered any other person too insignificant to ever pose any kind of _actual_ threat to him.

If it was that wretched man, it could have been any of the three or all of them. He was arrogant, but he had the power to back it up and that was what infuriated me.

There were no words that could describe my loathing for that man.

Never have I let my grudge or my anger cloud my judgment nor have I ever let it make me stray from my mission, but I could not help these feelings. Ever since our last meeting, I just could not wait for the next time we met. I even swore to clip his wings one at a time and shove my blade through his skull after making him beg for mercy and forgiveness.

Thoughts like that was why I understood Gris's concern for me taking this mission.

Unlike others, I could no longer bury all of my emotions and thoughts under my faith. I could no longer calm myself using the thought of God's love.

Five years ago, I had that last bit of solace stolen from me.

Suppressing my individuality like other priests did no longer worked. In the end, I was a human just like any other, just as they were pretending not to be. I was not a machine that felt nothing. It would have been more disturbing if I felt _nothing_ at the thought of that wretched crow bastard. After everything he did...

That line of thinking was cut off when I smacked myself across face, trying to snap myself out of my funk.

What happened happened. I could not go back in time and change things so it didn't happen, so obsessing over it only would have made it worse. All I could do was come to grips with what happened and move on. I had been managing to do a fairly good job thus far, but every now and then, my empty mind wandered back to that day, thinking about all the things I could have done differently, all of the things I was unable to do, the people I was unable to save, all of the things that happened all because of Kokabiel.

Again, I brought my own hand across my face.

"Stay focused, Enzo." As before, thinking about what could have been would do me no good. But no matter how hard I tried to steer my mind away from that topic, it kept popping back up at the front of my mind, poking and pestering me for attention.

What I needed was a distraction of some sort. Some new topic to take my mind away from the weight of my memories. I prayed to God for something, anything-

RIIIIIIIIIIING!

Such a distraction came in the form of my cellphone buzzing in my pocket, emitting a high-pitched beeping kind of noise. It was almost like a joke from Heaven.

Rummaging through the various candy wrappers and empty potato chip bags whose contents I had claimed as victims during the five-hour train ride from the airport, I searched for a certain rectangular piece of plastic that I called my cell phone. The phone continued with its incessant ringing as I searched hopelessly for it in my left pocket. After a few seconds, I felt my fingers wrap around a small object that fit the description I had in my mind.

The Caller ID read "Gris-Gris". I picked that Caller ID just for her. God knows she always hated it when I called her that, even when I was little. I still called her "Gris" for short (still to her irritation), but I could vividly remember the looks on everyone's faces when I ran up and down the halls of the Vatican when I was visiting with Gramps, how they all laughed, how red Gris's face got whenever I ran up to her and hug-tackled her.

Back then, I was small and adorable, so I could get away with nuzzling my face between her well-developed bosoms. If I had tried something like that during this present-day, I would have needed a team of highly trained doctors to fix what she would have done to me and even then it would have taken a thousand prayers to provide the miracle needed to undo the trauma caused to my psyche. I got two broken ribs when I was fourteen just because I peeped on her in the bath (Although she did not realize it was me at the time and promptly apologized for the overkill afterwards).

Ah, memories.

Having had enough of my trip down memory lane, I picked up the call, putting the speaker next to my ear.

" _Pronto_!" Slipping into my native tongue was a natural response. While I could speak any language fluently with ease, it felt much better on my tongue to speak in plain Italian. "You have reached the number of one devilishly handsome Enzo, how can I help you, baby? "

[You can start by adjusting your manners when addressing one of your teachers, Enzo-kun.]

She answered in such a serious tone befitting the woman I had known and admired all of my life. "Can't help it. My mind gets so mixed up whenever I hear that sweet, honey-filled voice of yours." It was significantly more safe flirting over the phone than in person. Gris couldn't pinch my cheeks or give me " _the look"_ from hundreds of miles away.

[I hope you are minding yourself over there, Enzo. I would hate for any sinful thoughts or words to cause you any problems.]

As usual, Gris was no fan of my flirting. Then again, it wasn't like I expected myself to be able to get _anywhere_ with girls from the Church let alone Gris.

I gave a soft laugh, scratching my cheek. "Ah, no worries about that happening, Gris." I couldn't help but let a bit of my disappointment and disgust slip into my voice. "Ever since I got to this place, I haven't seen anything but dusty old men. Not a single hot skirt anywhere. I thought the place all Otakus wanted to live in would have significantly more cosplayers and gorgeous Asian chicks around every corner..." That was a major reason I agreed to head out to Japan. I read from magazines that these girls were drop-dead beautiful. "Lord knows I at least want to see a Maid Cafe while I'm here. I refuse to leave this supposedly great country without seeing one gorgeous pair of panties on one fine posterior under a tantalizing skirt or dress."

[...]

"...Gris?"

[...]

"Helloooooo?" I tapped on the speaker of my cellphone, checking to see if something was malfunctioning.

[...Where did we go wrong?]

A misguided part of me thought I heard her wrong. "Excuse me?"

[I said that I hope you have not forgotten your mission objectives in the midst of your excitement, Enzo-kun.]

For a minute, I paused, pursing my lips before quickly playing it off with a soft laugh. "What? No way. As if! There's absolutely no way-What was I doing here again?" I literally heard Gris's trademarked "sigh + pinching-the-bridge-of-her-nose combo".

[En-]

"I'm joking, Gris." As if I could forget the reason as to why I was there. It was hard NOT to remember the sole reason as to why I was allowed this beautifully rare glimpse of freedom from my dungeon. "I understand that I'm here to do some good ol' fashioned investigatin' into the Fallen Angels and affiliates to dig up dirt on the location of the stolen Excalibur that is now in the hands of the most psychopathic Fallen Angel in all of mythological history all without unintentionally instigating a second Great War between the three factions that could very well result in the end of the world as we know it...Cake."

If only I was as confident as my joking tone had suggested.

[...Just remember: Your goal is not to engage in any unnecessary hostile confrontations. Just uncover information that could lead to the Excalibur's safe retrieval.]

She tried to hide it, and she did it well for the most part, but I could hear the worry in Gris's voice. Xenovia, Irina, and I were some of the few people she took such a tone with when a situation was bound for serious danger. In a way, we were like her children and she was our "mother" (Of course only a person with a death wish would ever say as such). She wanted us to live as we could with our own strength, but she couldn't keep from worrying when it came to more serious situations.

For however serious she sounded, I multiplied that by ten and approximated how worried she was.

While appreciative for her worry, I sometimes wished that Gris would have stopped seeing me as a child. I knew how to tame my emotions. Maybe not suppress them, but I wouldn't go into a berserk rage. Calm, bitter anger and frustration best described the way I expressed my emotions concerning anything related to Kokabiel or five years ago.

"Relax, Gris, it's not like I'm going to be storming the castle and trying to rescue the "beautiful maiden" on my own. I know my limits." I felt a little hurt when I heard her give a sigh of relief on the other side of the line. "Oh, and speaking of maidens, how are Iri and Xen doing? I can't imagine they were pleased learning about what happened."

[They don't know the contents of the mission yet. And you're changing the subject.]

Only a fool would have believed that even the subtlest of manipulations would deceive Gris.

[I have faith in your ability. That was never in question. It's your objectivity that I am concerned about.] That worrying, mother-like tone did not fade in the least from her voice. [While your heart is admirable, you must remember that you shouldn't let your personal beliefs interfere with your duties as an Exorcist.]

It was hard for me not to roll my eyes, having heard this lecture over a dozen times from over a few dozen people who disagreed with my opinions even before I became a pariah in the Vatican.

[Do you understand me, Enzo-kun?]

"Yes, ma'am." Submitting to Gris was the quickest way to put an end to the subject-matter. While Gris was more open-minded than other almost every other member and disciple of the Church, she was still a Christian follower. "I'll execute my mission without prejudice and get back to your beautiful smiling face."

[...]

"OK, I'll get back to your just-beautiful face."

[I just pray that you are careful.]

Even though I had been doing this job for several years with a 100% success rate, people just had this natural habit of warning me about every single thing I did. The major difference between Gris and the others is that, when Gris did it, it was out of worry and caring affection rather than a desire not to deal with the paperwork involved with cleaning up my perceived "failures" that somehow always seemed to overshadow my successes.

[But enough of that. I mostly wished to call to make sure you got there alright.]

Her tone had become more pleasant and casual than before, befitting the topic she chose.

"Yeah, it was an okay flight...and bus ride...then train ride..." My back and hindquarters ached just thinking about all of the time I spent sitting in a chair. "Anyway, all in one piece. So far, so good."

[I trust you have everything you need for a potential extended stay?]

"Yes." I confirmed.

[Did you make enough preparations? Did you pack everything you needed? Toothbrush? Change of clothes?...Underwear?]

"Oh come on, I'm not _completely_ reckless." I clicked my tongue. "Of course I packed a toothbrush."

[...]

"I'm _joking_!" I reiterated, feeling even more wounded by how little trust Gris had in me. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, _mom_."

Horror filled my heart as I realized my mortal folly. This was one of those times where you would have just wished that you had bitten your tongue off at an earlier point in the conversation.

[Enzo, I hope you meant-]

"OH MY GOD! It's an original copy of the Bible! Gotta check that! Bye, Gris! Love you!" I immediately slapped my phone shut, shoving it into my pocket as I tried to forget how pissed Gris was going to be because of that. If there was one thing Gris hated, it was anything inferring that she was old, a common way that is certain to incur a woman's desire to kill you. "Hahahahahahahaha-oh I am so fucked..."

Terror struck me at my very core, my realization of my mistake having come too late to matter. I had committed the one taboo that no man should ever break, a taboo whose importance surpassed even the legendary rules of the "Bro Code". Any man or woman foolish to break this taboo was doomed to a fate worse than death:

I implied a woman's older age.

For whatever reason, Gris was especially sensitive about that, so even accidentally implying something along the lines of her being old was an automatic death penalty. It may have been hypocritical for a nun to display something akin to vanity, but underneath everything, as stated before, even we Exorcists were merely human. Even those who were essentially brainwashed by the Church's ideals from a young age like Xenovia still possessed a normal human being inside of themselves, a part of them that was not entirely consumed by Church doctrine.

So it was a rational conclusion that Gris was probably _very_ angry at the moment.

 _"OK, Enzo, you may have fucked up, but it's no big deal."_ I thought, halfway into denial. _"You just have to carry out this mission so successfully that the beautiful signorina does not make you a eunuch."_

Perhaps I had been overreacting a bit, but while Gris was usually a pleasant woman whose beauty could only be compared to Angels (a heretical remark Gris once scolded me for), her wrath was worse than any torture that Hell could ever conjure for a soul who has been damned.

Just thinking about Xen's tenth birthday sent chills down my spine.

In the end, there was nothing I could have done to change what I had said. All I could do was carry on with my mission and hope Gris's sense of humor would allow her to let my slip slide...

So by that point, I knew I would surely die the moment I returned.

With a resigned sigh, I grabbed the handle of my travelers bag and continued on my not-so-merry way.

* * *

It was about six-ish, seven-ish before I finally managed to navigate through the streets to something resembling a hotel. It was in a rather shady neighborhood that I would not have expected to have existed in a small town like this. I had strolled down the street, looking for somewhere to stay for the night.

Easier said than done considering the fact I still could not understand Japanese. In fact, I was pretty sure that I wasn't even in the right neighborhood.

I had gotten directions from that Japanese man from earlier, but quite a few of the Japanese characters written on signs that conveyed certain names or directions looked quite similar. With my first attempt, I ended up in an alleyway and had to double-back to where I started, something that proved even more difficult after I miscounted the number of turns I had taken before. That was followed by trying to reread the directions I had been given only to find that I had been holding the map upside down.

Again and again, I tried to follow the directions I was given and locate the residential area, but every attempt ended in failure. Asking another civilian did me no good because, as it turned out, that not all Japanese people were kind or helpful.

Eventually I saw no point in even trying and decided to just wander around, keeping an eye out for buildings that resembled areas where I could rest.

It was after stumbling into three video stores, seven general stores, two office buildings, and one family restaurant that I started lowering my expectations and standards.

Giving up is a blissful feeling depending on the situation. When you've let all expectations and hopes hit the ground, literally anything can please you. There was literally nothing that could make me feel like I failed by this point. Anything that could remotely qualify as a place to spend the night would be great.

Which brings me back to the originally mentioned situation, on that shady street full of shady people and countless shady stores, shady restaurants, and ESPECIALLY shady hotels.

I admit that I did not get out very often, but I made a habit of learning as much about the world as I could each time I was let out of that dungeon. That was why I knew that one of the women hanging on the street corner was a prostitute. That's why I knew that some of the guys operating stalls on the sidewalk were peddling drugs, both medicinal and what I suspected to be sex-enhancing drugs, many of which had origins that had to do with the sin-inducing science of the Fallen Angels.

It may sound like a lie created by part of Church propaganda, but when it comes to drugs and medicines made for sexual performance, you could count on it having at one point been produced or enhanced by Fallen Angel hands...God, I loved those crazy, feathery bastards sometimes!

The only shame was that they only made the Church and other religious groups step up their "Anti-Sex Campaigns".

Apparently, having sex before marriage would make my "thing" fall off and render girls infertile.

I kept my head down, trying to avoid direct eye contact. One thing I knew was that direct eye contact with shady individuals only led to awkward or unpleasant situations down the line.

Since I did not have too much time to waste, I half-walked/half-strode down the street, dragging my travel bag behind me, its plastic wheels grinding against the street. I saw one of the prostitutes shoot me an alluring smile, waving flirtatiously, but I immediately averted my gaze. I had nothing against her, prostitutes are people too after all regardless of what those morons at Church say, but I was not interested in sexual flings. Like any healthy young man, I craved the female body, but I did have a "type" and a "standard".

I sped past her and turned into the entrance of one of the nearby hotels. A sign made up of glowing lights towered next to the building, the name "Love & Lucky" lit up for the most part. Some of the lights were broken, so in the dark, it looked more like "Loe and Luk".

Not exactly a vote of confidence concerning cleanliness. In one of those rooms, there was probably _some_ kind of infestation. A shady place with shadier clientele.

The perfect place for me to stay if I wanted to remain anonymous during my investigation.

The sleazy-looking man at the front desk had been sleeping, proving to be just about the amount of security I suspected for such a place. I didn't even bother banging on the likely-broken bell in front of him. I just threw a wad of Church-provided spending money on the desk, grabbing one of the random keys off the hooks behind it.

"Room 213" was what the label on the key said. That was more good news for me.

Not on the ground floor where anyone could infiltrate more easily but not too far up where I would sustain serious injury if we're to, say, jump out the window. It was a justifiable amount of paranoia considering my line of work where there's always another monster lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce. There was no shame in preparing for more than one situation at a time.

With the key in one hand and my travel bag's handle in the other, I walked over to the elevator, watching as the button I pushed to call it lit up. The doors immediately slid open seconds afterward, revealing nothing but an empty elevator shaft. I doubted there was an actual elevator coming if there had ever been one at all. Still, I could have climbed the shaft anyway for the lolz. Nobody would have noticed considering the fact they were all most likely too busy maintaining their own confidentiality to investigate another person. Thanks to _that_ , even if I slipped or came close to suffering some sort of injury, I would be able to protect myself AND show off to myself...

I flinched, immediately grabbing my right shoulder. It felt like _it_ was squirming at the thought.

On the other hand, I knew better than to use _it_ so pointlessly.

Often I pondered the many ways I could have used _it_ if it weren't for the high cost and the danger. However, I was no idiot nor was I suicidal. If I wanted to kill myself playing with a dangerous "toy", I would have used the Demon Sword, [Gram].

'Course, nobody had seen hide nor hair of that cursed piece of metal nor its owner since Siegfried left the Church two years ago. In terms of military strength, losing him was a huge blow to the Church's power. Normally, Demon Swords were considered heresies and wielders were frowned upon, but not a single person, me included, could deny Siegfried's skill, especially as he possessed the fortitude to wield several of them at once. It was as dangerous as being an Angel in the Underworld, but the high-danger also had a high pay-off in terms of power.

Siegfried was one of the few youths of my generation who could make me sweat. Even for his particular sect in the Church, he was considered quite exceptional.

And his sect had produced many-an-exorcists with outstanding abilities.

The amount of risk he took when using his Demon Swords was nothing compared to the danger I suffered on a daily basis though.

That was why I could not use _it_ except in the most dire or most important situation...or when I wanted something done quickly.

Thus, I took the stairs.

It also became another reason I was glad my room was only on the second floor. It took less than two minutes to get up to the second floor and another two minutes after that to find the door with the number "213" on the front. It would have taken less than one, but I had had to spend more time looking because the "3" had fallen off the door.

 _"They sure spared no expense managing this place..."_ I thought sarcastically. With each passing second, the number of scenarios in which my room is a dilapidated piece of garbage where the cliche cockroach swarms are consuming everything in sight slowly began to multiply by four. Part of me deeply considered just calling it quits and finding the nearest park bench to sleep under. That was not as much of a step down as one would think.

I slept under a park bench once. If you had a big enough blanket, it was actually pretty cozy once you got used to it.

I inserted the key into the lock and turned the knob, pushing the door open. Inside the room...

...was not what I expected.

The inside of the room was surprisingly nice. A room you would truly expect of a love hotel.

The lights were covered with tint, giving a more romantic low lighting to the room which had all of its walls covered in soft, red velvet fabric, lacking any stains or tears. There was something akin to a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, the outlets through which the light would flow through being heart-shaped. The bed in the middle of the room was also heart-shaped, possessing several also-heart-shaped pillows over the red sheets covering the bed. There was a bathroom, but no excess technology like phones or TVs.

Well, it was hardly likely that watching TV was on the minds of anyone who rented this room. They came here to _avoid_ being contacted or noticed by others, so of course there were also no phones.

I made a mental note to remember this place if I ever intended to get lucky sometime in the future.

Overall, it seemed like a fairly alright location to set up base. There was a fire escape in the case I needed to make a quick escape, there was no method of tracking me since I did not have credit cards nor any piece of technology other than my cell phone which I had had hack-proofed by one sexy, tech-savvy friend who owed me a favor.

God, when I thought about it, I realized that it's been several months since they heard back from me. Even if she hacked every satellite surrounding the earth, my doubts were high that she could have kept tabs on me under a quarter of a mile underneath the ground. I didn't even know if it was possible for me to even contact her using the same methods as before.

That was just one of the reasons I hated my "protective housing". I rarely received any news of the outside world or any of the few people I could consider a friend or ally. In total, there were only a total of five people I could still consider over the past five years.

That would be Gramps, Big Bro Dulio, Xen, Iri, and Gris. The only five people I had had anything resembling regular contact with since I was chained up like a rabid dog five years ago.

I sighed to myself, crawling up on top of the heart-shaped bed, laying my travel bag right next to it. I kicked my shoes off with enough force that they were sent flying into the air, slamming against the ceiling above me.

Other than those five people, I had nothing, nobody, left of my past who would truly remember me.

How depressing.

I frowned, pushing myself upright into a sitting position, my hands resting in my lap. "Well I officially killed what little good mood I had left..." I crossed my arms over my chest, unable to help the expression of dissatisfaction on my face. "And not a single skirt or piece of jerk-off material in sight...Damn." With everything going on, I had failed to acquire any info on a single fine piece of ass in this town, rendering the entire night pointless.

My eyes wandered over to my traveler's bag next to the bed. "Well, if I'm gonna be bored, I might as well be bored doing actually _work_." I did not have a very good lay of the land yet so scouting for the Fallen Angels affiliated with Kokabiel was no option for me. I go out, I get detected, and then I get hunted down like some prey. That was what happened when you tried recklessly challenging an enemy in unfamiliar territory. Even I could have been killed if an enemy got the drop on me by taking advantage of terrain.

Sometimes, terrain could make or break a victorious battle.

With that in mind, I started rummaging through the contents of my messily packed bag, tossing aside clothing and essentials alike as I tried looking for the only important item I packed. I _should have_ packed some porn magazines but I had been fairly certain that Gris had started checking my bags whenever I travel for missions. Smuggling my "contraband" had become next to impossible with Gris around.

The item I had been searching for came to appear in front of my eyes, unburied from beneath my other luggage.

A vanilla folder in a baggy, ensuring that all of the precious contents remained within the confines of the folder.

I retrieved the baggy and unzipped it, opening the folder and observing the papers that had been prepared for me. A photo of me had been clipped to the inside and a new name had been written at the top of the very first document inside:

"Enzo De Angelis." I read aloud, clicking my tongue in obvious distaste at my new name. "I get that my last name is a dead giveaway considering Gramps's position, but you'd think they'd pick something at least a little less obvious. Anyway, let's see here..."

I peered into the contents of the folder, learning of the person I would have to learn to be by tomorrow.

After about another hour or two, I finished and committed every fact and detail to memory, burning the file afterward to erase any evidence of my Church affiliation. I could hardly leave such documents just laying around with Fallen Angels, Stray Priests, and Devils lurking about.

While I held no personal animosity towards any of them, there was no doubt in my mind that neither of the other two sides would have hesitated to run me through or burn me to ashes. I had endured enough senseless conflict to know all of the many reactions to expect from the enemies that Church mindlessly makes and creates solely because they opposed Church beliefs.

It was thoughts like that that caused me to be seen as a black sheep.

With those pleasant thoughts in my mind, I flicked off the lights and drifted off to sleep.

It was a big day tomorrow.

* * *

 _They were screaming at me, once again being devoured by the black void._

 _Even though it had played before me countless times before, I couldn't refrain from screaming, calling out._

 _"SASHA! SASHAAA!"_

 _I could hear their screams echoing and resounding all around me, piercing my eardrums._

 _My right shoulder felt like someone had stuck it with flaming needles, striking each nerve in such a way that guaranteed the maximum amount of pain, slowly peeling away every scrap of skin and flesh. Every movement in itself was like death itself._

 _"SASHAAAA! SASHAAAAA!"_

 _Despite this, I couldn't stop calling out her name._

 _I was the most selfish person. They had all been suffering, but I could only call out her name and hers alone._

 _All of my friends, my comrades, we who had once been twenty men and women strong!_

 _Even though time had passed, I could still hear their screams, see their suffering._

 _"SASHAAAAA! SASHAAAA!"_

 _I couldn't stop writhing on the ground. Even though I was well-aware that this was a cursed dream, I could not move._

 _I was a prisoner within my mind, paralyzed by what could have been pain or fear. Even to the present day, I could never figure out which it was._

 _Regardless of which was the truth, either answer terrified me, made me fearful of my own weakness._

 _The sensation of my right shoulder acting up felt as real as it had that day._

 _"It" had been rather hungry after I woke "it" up._

 _All of the little willpower I could spare was spent repressing it._

 _"SASHAAAA! SASHA SASHA SASHAAAAA!"_

 _Despite what was happening, I knew that I could not mistake the expression on her face._

 _She was smiling._

 _I...I had to save her...I had to save her!_

 _Sasha! Please don't leave me! Please don't leave!_

 _I kept thinking those thoughts over and over again, even though my rational mind realized the futility._

 _She was still smiling._

 _"En...Don't forget me, 'kay~?"_

 _"SASHAAAAAAAAAAAA!"_

* * *

"Sasha!"

I suddenly jerked upright, extending my hand forward as if to grasp an illusory phantom in front of me. I just sat there in that position for a few minutes before rationality returned to my mind, reminding me once again that it had been nothing more than a dream.

I could still feel _it_ crawling underneath my skin around my shoulder, but it was far from as strong as it was before. The agony I felt then and the minor pains I felt at that moment were worlds apart.

The cruel, eternal reminder of that day, a reminder of my sins...

A reminder of the most precious person I had lost.

* * *

I growled in irritation, fumbling with the wretched tie that was tied around my neck as I walked down the pristine hall. With the idiotic piece of dresswear, I wore a black jacket with white accents over a white dress shirts and a pair of black pants. Obtaining a student uniform had been easy. It was this damned tie that was giving me some issue.

No matter what I did, it refused to be tied correctly and I had to restart. I didn't even understand why these were part of the uniform. What logical purpose could they have POSSIBLY served?!

After a few more minutes of frustration, I decided "to Hell with it!" and just completely tossed the tie to the side, deciding to forever abandon the use of such worthless articles of clothing.

I had bigger issues to deal with at the moment anyway. I was currently in "enemy" territory without the given consent of the keeper of this town. True, it wasn't like I was there with hostile intentions of any kind, but I wasn't sure whether or not the Devils would see it that way. If I tried to speak to them alone, they might have immediately interpret it as an attempt to attack and subsequently unleashed the dogs of war on me. I mean, sure I would probably kick their asses, but that would unleash a chain reaction that could cause Great War II, thus making me do Kokabiel's work for him.

Despite the short amount of time that was intended to be spent on my mission, the Church had really pulled out all of the stops in manufacturing my history so that I may become to this place. While I was appreciative about how thorough they were and making less of a hassle for me, I was unsure whether to be annoyed or happy about their decision to force me into this place.

Kuoh Academy. A prestigious institution that was recently converted from an all-girls school to co-ed as of recently.

In other words, I had to take the guise of an ordinary transfer student in order to maintain my cover. What better way to gather information than to blend in with the local populace? Hide in plain sight I suppose you could have called it.

Normally, I would have raised all Hell about being forced into such a place considering how I had already finished my full education, but well...I...uh...I made an exception considering the circumstances.

With a school bag hanging over my shoulder, I made my way to the classroom marked with the number on the piece of paper in my hand. I knocked twice on the door as I was instructed by the administration office. I picked up my goggles from around my neck and placed them on my forehead.

An absent-minded gesture. I mostly did it just to look cool. Everyone knew that wearing your goggles on your forehead was cooler than wearing them around your neck.

I was feeling somewhat awkward then. I wasn't sure how to make the right impression on the occupants of the class. Every person had a sort of "role" to play. There were the popular kids, the geeks, the model students, etc etc, and then there were the normal "background characters" whom you never noticed. I was determined not to become part of the latter. That would have been a fate worse than class.

Background characters were dull, boring, and nobody ever paid attention to them. There was never anything _to_ notice. Even in organizations such as the Church, there were always that group of individuals nobody noticed to the point that they were surprised that those people existed. Of course nobody knew their names.

Even my own fate of imprisonment was better than being one of those dullards because, at least then, everyone knew who I was. I was somebody whom everybody knew, thus preventing me from being a nobody who faded into the background.

"Please come in now." I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of a woman's voice, her head poking out the door and a pleasant, soft smile on her face. My first thought was 'Finally! The first female I've met in this godforsaken country!'. My second thought was that she was really, really HOT! She was an older woman who aged gracefully, having a figure that did not lose its splendor over time, her breasts being at least a D-cup. I could only imagine what she would have looked like in a maid's outfit. "Everyone seems to be quite interested over your arrival, Enzo-kun." The sexiness of her voice was matched only by her sexy, voluptuous figure.

The teacher smiled at me, oblivious to the fact that I was imagining the feel of her breasts or undressing her with my eyes. Having spent my childhood surrounded by women with swords, just itching to test the sharpness on a guy like me, I had learned to hide my lewd expressions and refrain from lecherous gestures. A Christian teacher would have paddled my ass til it was blue, but a Christian woman would have turned me into a girl in the most painful way. They have, in fact, tried, so I know what I'm talking about.

"Yes, Sensei!" I agreed. "I hope I live up to everyone's expectations!"

* * *

The first thing I noticed: There was only about one male face in the entire classroom. Every other student was noticeably lacking the Y-chromosone and had appearances that made me question if there was some hidden rule in this school that forbade any woman who wasn't attractive from attending. Every single girl was at least an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. These girls were so gorgeous that they made the sexy, boobilicious teacher seem "normal" when you put them next to each other. I knew it was rather shallow for that to be the first thing for me to notice, but it wasn't like that was the only thing I was looking for. It was just the most obvious thing to notice. The most amazing, obvious thing.

However, it appears my first thought was apparently mirrored by them in some way. All of the girls in the classroom immediately had their eyes fixed on me as if I were some sort of moving target and they were hunters ready to take down their prey. It was disconcerting to say the least. At first, I thought they had immediately realized my nature and were preparing to bitch-slap me, one time each.

Some of them were whispering amongst themselves. I wondered if they had heard me talking with the teacher in the hall. Their opinions of me were probably falling as I thought these thoughts, ogling them in a way just about the same as I did with the teacher.

It looked like I wouldn't be allowed to take part in my usual skirt-flipping and evasion I enjoyed doing with the local nuns. It was no fun when they either did not react or already expected it. It may have been slightly sadistic of me, but I enjoyed seeing their humiliated and adorable expressions when they passed me by. It was more like a childish mischief I enjoyed performing.

"E-Excuse me." The teacher's timid voice, yet again, snapped me out of my thoughts. "It's time to introduce yourself to the class. Please start with your name."

Taking a deep breath, I decided there was no reason to stray from my intended character. "As you wish then." I brushed my hand across my head, combing my fingers back through my hair. I scanned the faces in the class, noticing the particular attention the girls were paying attention to my every move. I gave a flirtatious smile. "My name is Enzo De Angelis and never before had I ever seen such a vast garden full of such beautiful, blossoming flowers such as yourselves."

There was a shocked silence following my flirtation. Realizing it was only a matter of time before they snapped out of it, I decided to capitalize on this time for as long as I could.

I gave a theatrical bow. "I have recently turned eighteen and have only recently transferred from my old school back in Italy."

"...he's from Italy?"

"Why are his eyes squinted closed...?"

"I think...cool."

I could make out some of their whispers, hinting that they were beginning to regain their senses.

"My family consists of me and my grandfather, so I am very lonely after moving abroad." It wasn't a total lie. "I would be most appreciative if I could become close friends with every one of your beautiful faces." I winked. "Don't be afraid about offending me due to differing beliefs or cultures. I-am-ve-ry-op-en~"

There was a collective gasp from each and every girl in the class, even the teacher inhaling slightly, as they all simultaneously came out of their shocked silence. While it was not quite what I expected, their expressions were still somewhat adorable. It almost looked unhealthy for that much blood to be flowing through their faces.

"S-So hot!"

"Could it be the awakening of a second "prince"?"

"I-I can't believe how smooth he is!"

"Well, Italian is one of the languages of romance."

"I wonder if he'd be offended if I asked him to talk in his sexy native tongue..."

I frowned, believing I had perhaps misheard them. This situation did not seem right no matter how I played it. I thought that perhaps they were still deep in shock or something, but they looked like they were fully-alert.

 _"This...This isn't how it goes."_ I said to myself in my mind. Stunned, I took a nervous step back. _"Usually, I flirt and then I either get slapped or brushed off...What is up with this?"_

The girls were not following the script I had memorized by heart over the many years I have been alive.

Coughing into my fist, I tried to break my own silence. "Anyway, at my old school, I was _very_ well-versed in-ahem- _physical_ activities." I found quite a bit of humor in my own innuendo. It was also the truth. You had be to quite physically active if you wanted to avoid being decapitated, broken, stabbed, impaled, drunk dry, burnt alive, buried, eaten, or spontaneously reduced to nothing. It was the sexual nature of the way I said it that was important. "However, I need a lot of convincing to be made to do anything. I don't like being forced into doing things." No reason to make myself sound like a slut though. There were limits. "So please be gentle with me. I tend to be very nervous in crowds."

[Iyaaaaaaaaa!]

All of the girls in the class let out such a high-pitched squeal that I couldn't help but feel certain that I had achieved my desired/expected reaction. These girls were different, as expected of a completely different country from those in Europe, but in the end, I made them scream with those voices like honey. I knew it was rather backwards of me to have thought this way, but the way these girls were behaving were too abnormal. It didn't sit right with me. It had felt suspicious somehow.

With my backwards-as-hell victory obtained, I decided to sit back and let the teacher continue as before.

The woman in question had her own face stained red by the blood under her skin, clearly understanding the implications of my words. "I...I see..." She cleared her throat. "W-Well then, does a-anyone else have any questions for E-Enzo-kun?"

Again, I was stunned by how everyone reacted, all of the girls quickly throwing their excited hands into the air.

"Ooh ooh!"

"Me! Pick me!"

"No, pick me!"

"I wanna ask some questions!"

"I had my hand raised first!"

"Everyone, everyone! Please calm down!" The teacher looked like she was losing control of the situation as every voice in the class started to drown hers out. "One at a time please!"

I gestured to the teacher, managing an awkward smile. "Yeah...uh...Everyone please do what Sensei says...Er..." I held a high rank in an organization dedicated to slaying monsters that lurked in the shadows, but it was awkward admitting my power was worth zilch in a high school classroom.

"What was life in Italy like?!"

"Uh...what?" It was such a personal question that usually nobody asked.

"Why are your eyes always closed like that?!"

"Pass."

"Are you from a high-class family?!"

"That's a hard question to-"

"Are you a virgin?!"

"Excuse me?!"

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?!"

"Not exactly, but-"

"Do you currently have a girlfriend?!"

"Well, no, I-"

[EEEEEEEKKKKKK~!]

I had to cover my ears to avoid being deafened by the wave of ear-splitting squeals that followed my interrupted response. Not just me, but the teacher also looked like she was having nails shoved into her eardrums.

"How about-"

"ENOUGH!" The teacher raised her voice to a volume I had not believed was possible for that woman. Her angry was even sexier than her normal voice. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "I appreciate you are all very curious about Enzo-kun as he is a foreigner with a rather attractive fac- _personality!_ Personality is what I meant!" The teacher looked awkward, leaving me confused as her expression came to mirror those of the female students. "S-So everyone wait u-until the end of class to assault him-I mean kiss hi-I MEAN question him!" The teacher buried her face in her hands, deeply embarrassed and ashamed. "I just...just...open your textbooks and let's start class...Please take your seat, Enzo-kun..."

It was wrong. It was all very wrong. There was no reason they should have been reacting this way.

Eyeing everyone with uneasy suspicion, I made my way down an aisle of desks, walking until I came to an empty seat. I sat down before anyone could say anything else. When you were trained as an Exorcist, you were trained to be suspicious towards any abnormal gazes.

So naturally, it was hard for me to focus at that moment, every female eye having a weird look directed at me.

I sank into my seat, uneasy with how off-script they were acting. I had been certain they were biding their time to start pelting me with books or pencils or just slaps or just brushing me off entirely.

"Impressive."

I tensed at the sound of an unfamiliar voice sitting next to me. I mean, I of course had expected there to be a person sitting next me as there was a perfect square made of a total of eight desks around me, but what I hadn't expected was that this person, a complete stranger, would address me so casually.

The girl sitting next to me had her face buried into a book, a pair of semi-rimmed blue glasses over what I realized were heterochromic eyes, the left one being violet and the right one being brown. Her hair looked silky smooth, as black as darkness itself, extending down to her knees. She looked like a calm and passive woman, but her beauty surpassed every other woman in that room. It had surprised me that my eyes hadn't zeroed in on her earlier. While every other girl in that classroom was an 8, this young lady was at least a 9 if not a 10. Her figure was quite impressive as well, having breasts the size of actual melon fruit and, like Melons, I would have most certainly enjoyed to savor their taste.

It was not just her bountiful bosoms that made her look so appealing.

"While most good-looking young men would have easily awed and wooed the female students, it takes a special or stubborn person to even ensnare Sensei in their boy-craze." The girl said in a calm voice with a hint of repulsion on her tone. "Do not expect me to fall for your cheap, sweet words like them, however. If you attempt making any kind of pass at me, I won't hesitate to slap you."

Oh my God, a _normal_ reaction.

It was so shocking and beautiful that I almost felt my heart stop. After the girls I had encountered so far, this was what I had been hungering for, what I had expected. The same reaction I usually expected from the girls from the Church.

"Wait, what do you _mean_ awed and wooed?" I asked, fully processing what the mysterious babe had just said. It was not that I didn't understand what she had said, but rather, that I could not believe what she had said. "I didn't even really...do anything. I mean, aren't they supposed to slap me, scream at me, call me a perv, all that stuff?"

The girl didn't even look away from her book. "Have you peeped on them through a hole in the girl's locker room?"

"Not yet." I answered a bit _too_ truthfully.

"Do you devote your life towards obsessing over a woman's body and spending all free time imagining breasts and/or uncovering ways to see women naked?"

"Well, it's not obsessive." I denied, shaking my head as I considered the question. "I mean, I'm a guy who likes seeing a woman's bazongas, and I won't lie about being a bit of a lecher, but I'm not the kind of loser who would devote every waking minute towards them. I like normal stuff like movies, video games, TV, just hanging out and all of that crap. I'm a guy who likes chicks, but I'm not a _complete_ creep."

"Then you have not yet hit the level that would cause our classmates to dislike you."

I frowned. "...That sounded a little specific. Are those kind of guys common?"

"There's only three." The girl answered. "And they are hated by essentially every person with female body parts in this school. I'm sure it's a mere matter of time until you meet them. Every person in school sees one of them at least once a day."

"Uh huh..." I could only marvel at what an odd response she gave.

"And speaking of women's body parts," The girl continued, "I have noticed that you have been staring at me and presumably my breasts as well. I would really prefer it if you stopped that. I don't intend to be marked by a lecher as he tries to turn a classroom into a list of sexual conquests."

I leaned my head on my arm, my eyes boring into her at my interest increased with each passing second. "Well, while your cold indifference is a bit of a turn-on for me, I'm afraid you're wrong on two counts." I held up one finger. "First off, I know how I act, but I do not view women in the derogatory manner you believe I do. I appreciate the female body, of course, but never once did I consider actually taking advantage of or looking down on women. Trust me, babe. I have three lady friends back home who would whoop my ass if I ever looked down on or used women. And as I have the general rule of not getting my ass whooped, I generally avoid being offensive towards any particular group."

It could have been my imagination, but I could have sworn that the corners of her mouth curved upward for a moment. "And two?" The curve of her mouth vanished just as quickly if it had been there at all.

"I was not staring at your breasts."

And, as if it were some kind of God-given miracle, the girl paused, finally looking up from the novel she had been reading. "Is that so?" It was hard not to hear the doubt in her voice. "Then where, if I may ask, were you staring?"

"Your eyes." It felt nice that I was able to give the honest truth again.

"My...eyes?"

"They're very beautiful." I said it with no hesitation or embarrassment because this, too, was the truth. "Two different colors together to complete one beautiful face."

At first, I thought she would be flattered by my compliment, but then irritation flitted across her face. "Are you mocking me?" Hostility entered her voice, putting me even further off.

"No. Nothing of the sort." I met the girl's annoyed gaze with my own expression of curiosity. "Flirtatious though I may be, I would never lie about the beauty I see in a woman's eyes. Gem stones with differing colors and differing appearances, but the same priceless value. Gorgeous pools so deep that I would gladly drown in them if only to fully immerse myself in their endless beauty."

"Huh?!" It was like she had been wearing a mask made of glass and someone had come along and had broken it with a hammer. The face I saw underneath that "mask" was flushed, her eyes widened as she was overtaken by stunned silence. "I...I already told you. I don't intend to become some conquest or whatever it is you intend."

"So the ice queen does have a cute face deep down~" I raised my hands in surrender, doing nothing to suppressing a grin when the girl shot me a sharp look. "Kidding~ Kidding~ You're face is always cute."

The blush on the girl's face intensified, but her expression was changing back into irritation.

"I would be most appreciative if you stopped talking to me." The girl said, turning back to her book with what was almost desperation, most likely to escape her current situation. "Angelis-san, please-"

I clasped my hands together, cutting her off. "Which reminds me." I let out a sigh. "Foolish me, I broke one of the most important rules of being a gentleman: Asking for the fair maiden's name. Apologies, m'lady, but may I have it?" I put on the most charming smile I could manage. "If you think about it, it's only fair considering you already know my name, no?"

Her face was mesmerizing and her reactions were adorable. She was the kind of girl I just wanted to tease and pick on to the point of tears. At the same time, however, she had the habit of looking at me as though I had just evolved from pond scum.

Suffice to say, I was immediately smitten.

The girl, realizing my attentive gaze was not going anywhere anytime soon, sighed, finally closing her book. "Shinra. Tsubaki Shinra." She answered after several minutes of tired silence. Her face gradually came to return to its normal color. "I suppose that we should get along since we are going to be classmates for the coming year."

"Nice to meetcha, Tsubaki-chan." I greeted. "And can I say that it is no surprise that your name is as pretty as you are?"

The red-faced girl focused all she could on the book in front of her. "I thought I said-"

"Tsubaki-chan, Enzo-kun, I would deeply appreciate it if you two would spend more time reading your textbooks than having a conversation in the middle class."

The teacher sounded a little pissed.

Tsubaki sank further into her chair, looking very much ashamed and embarrassed. "Yes, Sensei..." I honestly felt a little bad. I liked teasing the girl I now knew as Tsubaki Shinra, but I had not intended to get her into actual trouble.

I also turned to the teacher, giving her a familiarly flirtatious smile. "My apologies as well, Sensei." To test something, I gave the added gesture of blowing her a kiss. " _Very_ sorry."

The woman stiffened, quickly turning towards the board behind her. "I-It's fine, just pay better attention." Her voice had become somewhat calmer, but I could see her ears turning a hot pink.

I nodded to myself, deeply interested. "It looks like you were right, Tsubaki-chan." I whispered to my neighbor. She said nothing, deliberately ignoring me. "These girls are into me...Wow. That's pretty cool!"

It was my genuinely surprised reaction that drew Tsubaki's attention the most. "...I would have thought someone like you would be used to such responses." She frowned. "Unless you are toying with me again."

"No. No toying." I said. "I swear I have never been stared at like eye candy before. Girls usually smack me or ignore me. This is a pleasant twist. Maybe I can actually commence my long-standing dream of building a harem of bodacious babes. I never had the opportunity before."

"Really?"

"Nah, the girls back in the-in Italy were rather apathetic towards boys." I shrugged, trying to avoid bringing attention to my little slip of the tongue. I had almost said "in the Vatican". "It's actually-"

"I just remembered!" I shut my mouth the moment the teacher turned back around to face the two of us. For a moment, I had feared that I had been caught anyway. However, she continued speaking without giving indication that she noticed my mouth open. "Tsubaki-chan, would you mind showing Enzo-kun around campus after classes are over? He is a new student and I don't want him having trouble getting to his classes. You don't mind do you?"

Tsubaki opened her mouth, clearly to object, but appeared to have remembered something, letting go her objections. "Not at all, Sensei."

"Thank you very much!" With that, class continued as normal.

I shot Tsubaki another smile. "Looks like you and I get to spend some extra _private_ time together, huh?"

Tsubaki let out a defeated sigh before descending into silence.

The rest of class passed without incident.

* * *

Tsubaki and I had remained behind a little while after sunset, many of our classmates having either gone to club practices and meetings or just went home straight after the final bell. I, on the other hand, did not have that kind of luxury due to my prisoner escor-I mean-"guide". When I tried letting Tsubaki off the hook, she insisted that she carry out our teacher's request and show me every single part of the school in order to help me assimilate more easily into the normal student population.

At first, I had thought that it would have been an entertaining experience. Checking out the fine tail, maybe flipping a few skirts, woo some chicks with my devilishly good looks. Not to mention there was the fact my own guide was a "little bit of no-fun". She was drop-dead gorgeous, but in terms of personality, she was too straight-forward and she had no real sense of humor.

The only way I could cope with this was by picturing the type of kinky things a girl like her was into behind closed doors.

However, it wasn't as entertaining as I thought it would have been. Without someone to pinch my face or get flustered at my lewd expressions, it just wasn't any real fun. I knew that I had my mission objectives to think of, but this was a time of freedom and free love. I wanted to have my fun while I could for as long as it was possible, not spend it walking around a _school_. If we had been doing literally anything else, I wouldn't have minded because I would have had Tsubaki with me and I could have teased her as much as I wanted, but the activity we were currently doing was just boring.

Tsubaki didn't seem to notice my boredom. She looked so committed to our little tour that nothing else seemed to be significant. In a way, I had to admire her focus however annoying it was.

"-and this room is where the Art Club gathers." Tsubaki said, pointing out yet another room I had no real care for nor interest in.

"Uh huh." I responded absentmindedly. "Yeah. Sounds interesting."

"By the way, Angelis-kun," Tsubaki said, "there have been quite a few things I have been meaning to ask." She stopped abruptly, me stopping a few steps behind her.

It was then that I realized just how empty the halls were. How alone we were.

If this did not scream "It's a trap!", I didn't know know the meaning of the phrase.

"And those would be, my darling Tsubaki-chan~?" I asked in a sickeningly sweet voice as if I did not already see where this was going. "If you want my number, I'm afraid that's need-to-know. However, if you want to know anything more intimate, I wouldn't mind discussing such things over a nice lil date."

"Enough games." I didn't flinch as the sharp end of some kind of blade pressed against the back of my neck.

I couldn't help the small smirk that came to my face. "Huh. Here I was thinking I was fitting in rather well." I let out a soft sigh, shrugging. "So either I've entered the Yandere Route or you have figured out who I am, correct? It's either that or you're a kinkier girl than I thought." I could tell she was not amused by the fact she was poking the sharp end more forcefully into my neck. A bit more force and there was no doubt she would pierce the skin.

"I assume you know the answer to that question." Tsubaki replied. "And don't just reply with another sex joke."

"Whatever do you mean?" Well, I did ask for something fun, so I knew I had brought this situation upon myself.

Tsubaki jabbed me in the back with her blade again. "No games. Tell me what you know."

"What is it you wish to know about me, love?" I asked, not dropping my cheerful tone for a single moment. I knew that, for most people, such a thing would have been rather dangerous, but this was the first bit of fun I was getting from this girl in a long while. "I can tell you my likes and dislikes as well as the type of girl I'm interested in-"

I literally _felt_ Tsubaki's irritation grow by the second even if her face showed no change. "If you don't tell me what your objectives are, I will be forced to bring you before my master." I turned my head, seeing her brandish her spear-like weapon, a naginata, in a threatening fashion as if to run me through. "Be warned: I won't hesitate to take you by force."

 _"Take ME by force...?"_ The thought brought me a great deal of amusement, to the point that I actually started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" The ice queen's body tensed, preparing to counter any move I could have made. In a way, I had to give her props. With her current stance and her superior position behind me, I would not have been able to escape or avoid any strike...if I had been a normal person anyway.

"You're so adorable~" I teased. "You actually think you're a threat~ For a second near the start of this whole thing, I actually thought that you might have been able to scratch me. Your stance is strong and you clearly have the high ground in terms of the field advantage, leading me into a narrow hallway with next to no room to evade any strikes, making sure to get me from behind. However, I'm afraid that your tactics have one major flaw in them."

"Huh?" My words only put my classmate further on-edge.

"Field advantage and tactics mean nothing if you have neither the speed nor strength to beat me!" Before Tsubaki could react, I twisted around on my feet in a 180 degrees arc. I lashed out with my hands and grabbed the center of the shaft of her weapon, twisting it in her hands and using the lower half to sweep underneath her feet. The sudden loss of balance caused her grip on her weapon to loosen, an opportunity which I used to fully snatch the naginata from her hands, watching with just the smallest amount of amusement as Tsubaki fell flat on her butt. I whistled while playfully twirling my stolen weapon in circles with one hand. "You might want to get up. The floor's probably dirty _and_ I can see your panties."

Tsubaki looked down at her raised skirt.

"Black lace, huh?" I gave a light smirk mixed with a playful laugh. "My my, you're much more of a naughty girl than I first pegged you for."

Her face suddenly becoming flushed, Tsubaki sat up, pulling her skirt down back over her panties. She looked up at me, her gaze becoming sharp after I started laughing even harder.

"Man, I didn't expect you to be so easily embarrassed~" I wasn't trying to be mean. My laughter was genuine. "You can be pretty damn adorable, you know that?" I extended a helpful hand towards her, wanting to show what a gentleman I was. "Here, let me help you up." She eyed me suspiciously, as if expecting me to suddenly reach into her chest and pull out her heart or something. "Oh come on. Just because _you_ tried to kidnap and/or kill me, it doesn't mean everyone is just as ill-intentioned."

I could tell just from looking into her eyes that she had still possessed numerous reservations about me (and not just because I knocked her flat on her ass). In the end, she probably realized that nothing could have been worse than the situation had proven to be thus far, so she (albeit grudgingly) took my hand, allowing me to pull her back to her feet like the gentleman I was.

"Do not think this means I trust you." Tsubaki warned, looking to me like an adorable puppy baring its teeth at a tank. "If you so much as raise a hand in my direction, I'll interpret it as a hostile action."

"Wow. Sounds just like all the girls back home." However, my cute little quip went unnoticed as Tsubaki snatched her naginata from my hand. "So what is your objective for coming here. You're a servant of God, are you not?"

"If you're asking if I _like_ the guy, then no. If you're asking if He's the reason I get a weekly paycheck, then yes."

The way my response threw her for a loop caused her to make another adorable look of confusion that I swore to put in my mental scrapbook.

"I don't..."

I raised a hand to silence her. "Don't you worry your pretty little face. I didn't come here to stir up trouble..." I said, pausing before adding the after thought, "...well, not for you guys anyway. I actually did intend to speak the fine ladies in charge, but between class and your absolutely charming attempt at assaulting me, I had not even the minimum amount of time required to carry out this task. So, in a way, you're causing your own problems here by preventing me from making peace with them."

"That-I-But you-!" I knew just how to stun her to silence. It was clear from the way she had tried to take me on her own without calling for back-up that she had taken matters into her own hands. However, it was certainly not out of some form of Church-bound hostility , but rather, to ensure the safety and will of her master were upheld. She was more loyal than a dog to its owner (although perhaps this was a rather crude way of thinking of it). The thought of making a mistake in her master's name was likely something that made her want to hit herself (although not excessively like some kind of yandere).

"So shall we go meet them now?" I asked, bowing and motioning for Tsubaki to lead the way. My lowered head hid the amused smirk my mouth had taken on. "I am ever so eager to meet the Devil Kings' baby sisters, especially the ever-famous Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess~"

* * *

I couldn't lie. I had expected something a bit more intimidating than the room I entered.

Granted, it earned some points with the appearance like that of an older generation, the entire room lit by only an ominous candlelight, many magic circles drawn in what could have been either paint or blood littered a certain portion of the room, no doubt to be used to carry out Devil activities. There were some occult-looking items near the back of the room, but Tsubaki slapped my hand when I tried to touch them.

After making sure that I was silently seated on the couch, my classmate asked me to remain there and, more importantly, not to touch ANYTHING (She could not stress the last part enough).

And so I waited...And waited...and waited...

Eventually I got bored about counting all of the creases in the couch cushion so I got up and started to walk around.

I was not nor did I have any intention to be invasive of the property owned by the Devils. However, I was far from an easy man to satisfy emotionally. If I had wanted to sit around doing nothing, I would have just stayed home. I mean, sure, I had books to read and things to do, but nothing quite beat the rush of enjoying the fresh air of the outside world and all of the things that people did for fun.

That and I had the patience of a six-year-old child.

The longer I spent looking around the place, the more detail I noticed in the room. While not obvious at first, it had a refined touch to it that made it more than something of a glorified waiting room.

But if you took away the magic circles, replaced one couch with a recliner, then hung up a flat-screen TV, THEN it would have been a pretty awesome place to chill. If I feng-shui'd my own room around back home, I could make it seem a lot less empty and depressing and more lively like the Occult Research Club's meeting room.

When the abode of a group of soul-eating Devils (I exaggerate with the "soul-eating" part, of course. I'm know how Devils really are.) starts to look better than your own room, you can really tell how depressing your life was.

It was during my impatient wait that something interesting actually happened to me.

It all started when the door opened again.

"Buchou, I finished filling out those docu-" I turned to face the young man who intruded upon my solitude. "-ments..."

He was a a young man, probably about a year or two younger than me. He had blonde-haired and the kind of face and body that made guys want to murder him and girls want to fuck him. Even the aura surrounding him was elegant and very pleasant. Overall, he was a very attractive young man.

"How do you do?" I asked politely, realizing this was the first Y-chromosone I had seen since I first got to that place. "My name is Enzo De Angelis, the exchange student from-" I had cut myself short only so I could focus more on avoiding the metal sword that had been swung at me. It was less than a mere half-step backwards for me to dodge it, but the strike had been slightly distracting. Taking a few more playful hops back on one foot, I stared at the handsome fella with curiosity in my gaze. "Now that wasn't very nice. If Rias Gremory-dono or Sona Sitri-dono intended to send someone to assassinate me, I would have thought they would have sent someone with a little more skill...or subtly."

The young man's gentle gaze had suddenly become one filled with anger. "I can feel it..." I could not help but notice the hands he held his sword in were trembling. "Even if I can't see it, I would remember that disgusting feeling anywhere..." The young man brandished his sword at me again, ready to attack (and possibly kill) without a second thought. There was no doubt in my mind he was wielding a Demon Sword, but something felt off about it. "You're an Exorcist aren't you?"

"Yes." I admitted without hesitation, feeling it was too obvious by that point to deny.

"And you're also a wielder of one of those disgusting weapons, the Holy Swords."

I scratched my cheek, feeling somewhat sheepish. "Well, I wouldn't call it "disgusting". I clean my sword on a weekly ba-" I stepped to the side to dodge another what I considered to be a "sloppy swing". "-sis." I raised an eyebrow at the young man. "Seriously, what is your deal?" I tip-toed away from a furious thrust, but my instincts told me that wasn't all there was to the danger. And they were right.

The moment I side-stepped the first attack, I ended up looking up at the downward arc of an unexpected second blade that appeared in the young man's other hand.

"Fight me."

"Don't I even get a "Hello" or an introduction from my would-be assailant?"

The young man glared daggers at me, nothing but hate on his face. "I am Yuuto Kiba, the person who wants to wipe out people like _you_!" And then he went back to mindlessly hacking and slashing at me.

"Oh come now~ Doesn't the Bible say "Love thy neighbor"? If it does, I'm pretty sure it also says somewhere not to stab random strangers with sharp objects."

"Draw your Holy Sword and fight me!" Kiba demanded, looking at me as if I had killed his family or something.

I narrowed my eyes, feeling somewhat slighted by his attempts to command me. "I have no desire or interest in indulging in your childish tantrum." Perhaps it wasn't the most polite thing to have said, but his attitude irritated me. If there was one lesson Gris had beaten into me that I remembered more than anything, it was to never to wield my sword for selfish or pointless reasons. It was a sentiment that I had appreciated and I had no desire to make her worry about me turning out like a few people I used to know. "You can't seriously expect to defeat me with two weak swords like this, can you? Look." Feeling the desire to put an end to this game, I waited until he brought both swords in a downward arc, letting both slide between the index and middle fingers on either hand, then tightly gripping the flat of the blades.

With a clockwise jerk of both of my hands, I broke both blades in half.

I stared at him with neither praise nor condescension. "I've fully disarmed you. The fight is over. Are you satisfied?"

"Not until I defeat that damned Holy Sword of yours!" Kiba exclaimed, holding out his hand. I stared at him, arms crossed, preparing to question his pose when something interesting happened. Out of nowhere, a Demon Sword fazed into existence, appearing as though an illusion before solidifying into a true, physical weapon.

"I see..." I said finally, taking note of the true nature behind his Demon Swords. "So you must be a wielder of the Sacred Gear, known as a heresy for its ability to create Demon Swords, the [Sword Birth]."

"That's right." Kiba confirmed, a dark smile appearing on his face. "The swords created by this Sacred Gear hold the hatred of my comrades, the regrets of those who were murdered! With these blades, I will destroy the Holy Swords, even if it costs me my life!" He suddenly stabbed his sword into the ground beneath him, a heavy aura surrounding his body. "SWORD BIRTH!"

The ground underneath my feet started to rumble and shake as if there were an earthquake. However, my instincts knew better than my brain did, making my feet move me away before at least a dozen swords, varying in specific size but massive nonetheless, ripped free from the ground and piercing towards the ceiling above, attempting to spear me from below.

"A wide-area attack. Impressive for someone of your level." I complimented. "However, I can't imagine it uses only a little bit of power."

"It doesn't matter how much power I use!" Again, my instincts started screaming at me to move, so, instead, I looked up to see Kiba, having suddenly appeared above me with greater-than-normal speed, wielding a huge Demon Sword at least twice as large as he was. "I will avenge my comrades!"

I sneered. "How pathetic." Deciding to put an end to this charade, I chose to use a little bit of my actual speed. Moving faster than even the opposing swordsman's eyes could follow, I became a blur, jumping into the air to match his altitude and kicking my feet downward onto the back of his massive sword, knocking it to the ground with a wood-splintering crack as it pierced the floor. I narrowed my eyes at the Sacred Gear-user, straightening my left hand until it was flat in front of me. "This is over." Without hesitation, I delivered a piercing jab into Kiba's lower torso.

He hunched over mid-air second as all of the wind got knocked out of him. It was only several seconds before his body hit the ground, collapsing immediately. The swords around us cracked, shattered, and dissipated into nothing, just like his ability and/or will to keep fighting that fight.

I had won, obviously.

But that wasn't enough. All through that fight, something had been bugging me about that guy whom I had initially thought was just an ordinary kid.

I crouched down in front of him, arms hanging over my legs as I looked down on him. "So..." I said, feeling awkward now that the adrenaline was gone and the "danger" was passed. "...do you stab random people with Holy Swords often? Or am I just that special?"

"Get. AWAY. From me." Kiba spat bitterly, clenching his fists in what could have been anger, frustration, despair, or sorrow. Possibly all four.

"Look, man, I-"

"Yuuto!"

And it was at that moment that the door to that room decided to open again, revealing Tsubaki and the two figures I had heard about but never met in person. Yet I still knew who both of them were.

The first young woman wearing the girls' student uniform possessed a bodacious figure most girls would have killed to have and most guys would have killed to get with. And above all else, the part of her that struck me more than her prideful yet gorgeous, sapphire-blue eyes was her crimson hair whose shade of red could only be compared to that of fresh blood. Despite the dark comparison, such a color only added to her tremendous beauty. This was likely the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess, Rias Gremory.

This second young woman gave me the impression that she and Gris would have gotten along great. She also wore the girls' student uniform, but her figure was noticeably slimmer than that of her associate (and I say "slimmer" so as to be sensitive and polite towards other "slim" girls). She wore spectacles over her violet eyes and her shiny black hair was styled into a bobcut. I knew she would be no fun because she had been looking me with the same look that Gris always wore whenever I did something wrong. I knew that if I crossed that woman, she would have done things to me that I would see for many years when I closed my eyes...and not in a good way. Considering her companion, I could only have assumed that this was the heiress of the Sitri Clan, Sona Sitri.

"OK! Wait!" I raised my hands in immediate surrender, hoping they wouldn't blast me on-sight. "I KNOW how this looks, but I swear to God...to the Maous...to whatever fucking deity you want me to swear to that this is not what it looks like! _He_ attacked _me_ first. Self-defense."

The woman I assumed to be Rias Gremory first looked at me, then at the defeated Yuuto Kiba. At first, I had thought she was going to be angry with me for beating up the guy I assumed to be her comrade, but instead, she turned her scolding gaze on Kiba.

"I am willing to put up many things, but _this_ is unacceptable, Yuuto!" Rias scolded him, hands on her hips. "I understand why," She shot me a sharp look at me after saying that, as if I had somehow provoked him into trying to murder just by existing, "but such reckless actions could end up causing unnecessary conflict between the Devils and the Church. You realize you could have singlehandedly ended up starting a second Great War between the three factions with a move like that?"

For a moment, when he stood up, I thought that Kiba was going to object, to raise Hell and defend his actions to the older girl in front of him. "..." Then he lowered his head, looking ashamed like a dog who had been caught eating out of the trash by his master. "I'm sorry."

Rias's eyes softened at the young man's pathetic expression, but she quickly regained her prideful and calm look. "Please go wait in one of the other rooms while we resolve this matter. We can discuss more of this issue later and decide the proper punishment."

Kiba shot me one more dirty look but nodded at Rias. "Very well...I...I will do that."

And then he left, leaving me alone with the two Devils in a room that looked as though it had been thoroughly fucked.

"Sooooooooo..." I said, trying to break the awkward silence. "Why did you-"

"For the record, if I had thought for a minute that you had provoked the fight, I would have eliminated you on the spot." I had barely said four words to Rias before she said those harsh words out of the blue. Sounds like this is going to start like almost every other relationship I had ever had with a girl up to that point. Rias sighed. "However, considering the fact I _know_ Kiba and how he behaves in situations like this...You could have killed him at that time when he was on the ground, but you didn't. So, reason dictates that I must believe you over him, no matter how distasteful I find you and no matter how repulsive I find it being in the same room with you."

"...Have we met?" I asked. "No seriously. Usually girls don't hate me this much right off the bat unless they know me."

"I know you are an Exorcist who serves the Church, the direct enemies of the Devils who held a big hand in the near-extinction of my race." And then she tacked on, "Not to mention you are trespassing in my territory without my expressed consent."

"Well, to be fair, and I'm not playing sides, but the Devils kind of killed a lot of Angels too." I pointed out. "And as for that last part, why else do you think I came to you?...Well, I mean, technically, you came to me, but I was waiting here for you...you know, before Stabby McStabberstein tried, in vain if I might add, to murder me in cold blood." Of course it was unnecessary to remind her of her comrade's (presumably also her servant) previous unauthorized assault on my person, but I wanted to remind her that she hardly held the high ground in that conversation. "Look, the war is _over_. It's BEEN over. We were born like a few centuries after it ended. Can't we let bygones be bygones and talk like two, normal-ass teen-Well, we're obviously not normal-ass teenagers, but can't we all just be friends anyway~?"

The two beautiful women in front of me exchanged looks as if trying to decide whether or not I was being serious (It was half-and-half really). They gave no response to my question.

"Alright. If you two are gonna be like that, can I at least talk to Tsubaki-chan?" I asked, smiling like a dunce. "I mean, if we're going to sit around here discussing nothing, I would prefer to talk to a beautiful woman whose company I actually _enjoy_." Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed the lightest of blushes coloring the young maiden's face. "After all, her adorable face whenever I tease is just irresistible~" Tsubaki's face fell and her expression was replaced by irritation. "I mean, oh my gosh~ She is just adorbs~"

"Ahem!" The sound of the glasses-wearing Sitri child snapped me out of my euphoria induced by imagining all of the ways I could tease or embarrass my new desk-neighbor. "If you would stop harassing my servant, I would be most appreciative, Exorcist."

"I have _a name_." I objected, gesturing to my body. "It's Enzo. My surname is obviously fake, but most people just call me Enzo. My friend's call me "En"." Then I gave a flirtatious smile and a wink to the lovely ladies before me. "But my very special lady friends call me "daddy"."

The silence that followed my joke was especially harsh and, I won't lie, it wounded my ego just a little bit.

"Exorcist, if you refuse to behave in a mature manner and state your serious intentions, you will be immediately ejected from this territory." Even if Rias Gremory did not have the actual power necessary to do it by force, I would have been downright screwed if I opposed her and got her family involved. I was strong, of course, but I've heard of her parents and the thought of fighting either of them alone made me cringe. Forget about her older brother. I also wasn't stupid enough to make enemies of someone who could have been a potential ally.

Exhaling a heavy sigh at the thought of the fun being over, I moved to a portion of the floor that hadn't been ripped apart by the enraged prince-like young man I had fought (trounced) earlier. "Alright, alright. Hold your horses." I raised my hands to motion that I meant no harm, deciding to put on a more serious expression, showing the two a more polite smile in the hopes it would at least have lowered their guards somewhat (Spoiler alert: It did not.). "It's like I told you before. I truly do wish to be friends with you all. I have no ill-will towards you or any of your kind."

"The feeling's not mutual."

"Jesus! I thought you were nobles." I clicked my tongue, having full-well expected such behavior from Devils, especially Pure-Bloods. "No offense, but you are seriously behaving like a child right now. I have not done anything aggressive towards you and yet you loathe me solely for being an Exorcists. True, I may behave childishly, but I am far more mature than you who hates without even understanding the reason why or realizing the futility of it all."

Obviously my words failed to put me in Rias's good graces, but I noticed how Sona's expression had changed slightly.

Well, her face didn't change, but I detected a difference in the light in her eyes. Still suspicious, but not as harsh as Rias's.

"Speak your piece or leave." Rias demanded. "I refuse to have your presence here endangering the well-fare of my territory nor any more of my servants."

"Is that what this hostility's about? You're mad because I gave the beautiful prince a little boo-boo? It's just a little-" I caught myself, realizing my defensive and slightly smart-ass-ish way of speaking was not doing anymore favors. "Fine. Look, I can't go into detail, but I'm looking for something and I believe the key to finding it is in this town."

It was clear from the way my hosts were staring that they had been expecting more.

"That's it?" Rias asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Yes." I answered without reservations. "I intend no harm to either of you, your servants, or this peaceful town of yours. I simply wish to complete my mission and return home, so I would like your consent to explore this territory freely in order to accomplish this goal. The consent of a High-Class Devil is all I require, but it would be preferable to receive the permission of this territory's owner."

"I refuse." It was just about the response I expected from the Crimson-Haired Bust Princess considering the way our encounter began, but I could tell her reasoning was far more personal than she led on. "With such a vague objective and wish, there is no way I can authorize such an investigation being conducted in my territory without further explanation."

"I can't. I was instructed to keep the specifics of my objectives classified."

And this was the part I hated about my job. The Church always sent me on the missions that were top-secret so I couldn't even tell people I needed help from _why_ exactly I needed their help. So naturally, such assistance was rarely ever forthcoming.

"Then I cannot offer you the permission you desire and respectfully request that you vacate the premises."

"Can't you just look into your heart and find-"

"No."

"What if I said "please"?"

"My answer remains the same."

"What if I said "pretty please with a cherry on top"?"

"Don't test my patience."

I rubbed my temples, realizing that simple stubbornness would not defeat a woman like Rias Gremory whose stubbornness would have probably ended up being greater than my own. "I understand your reluctance to help someone from a faction that differs from your own. It's probably a part of every living creature's nature to behave in such a manner, but if I am unable to complete my objective, it could end up affecting the world at large, not just the Church. I don't know how, but the person responsible for causing this mission will definitely find a way to, in laymen's terms, fuck shit up."

"If it's of such utmost importance, why can't you simply tell us what your mission is? Perhaps we could even help you." I had the feeling she didn't really mean that, but rather, she was simply trying to poke holes in my argument. "I can't help you so long as I even have a hint of suspicion that your purpose is here is actually malicious towards my kind."

"I can't because I was expressly forbidden from divulging the specific objectives of my missions because it could destabilize the Church and blah blah blah apocalypse stuff blah blah blah. Those reasons. I understand you think we have to be on opposite sides simply because I'm a Devil and you're an Exorcist, but, for just one second, could you pretend that we _weren't_? Just for one second?"

Rias crossed her arms underneath her bust, narrowing her eyes. "Very well then. If you can give me one good reason why I should help you, someone who serves one of the Devils' worst enemies, I will personally authorize your investigation in my territory."

"No you won't." I pointed out, knowing full-well her immature dislike of me would have her oppose any of my desires solely for the sake of opposing them.

"I swear it on my family's name."

That was what gave me pause. I hadn't expected her to behave so seriously. Even if she had said it because she didn't believe I could convince her, a Pure-Blood like her would never have gone back on her word after making an oath in their family's name.

"So...how can I convince you?" I asked earnestly.

"By explaining to me why I should trust an outsider who entered my territory without notice or permission, attempting to conduct searches and investigations for some vague objective I know nothing about, and whose group had killed and completely destroyed many Devils solely for the reason of existing." Rias took a deep breath. "My family had lost many great Devils in the past. Not just my family, but many others. While I will admit some of us in the High-Class behave coldly, there are those who cherished the bonds they had with their family and their servants. In the Great War that passed, the Angels and Exorcists serving God attacked and executed us without any cause other than the word of their God. So many of the Devils died in the fighting, never being able to return to their families. My grandfather died when I was seven. I hadn't known him that well, but I had learned he was killed by an Exorcist from the Church. He had committed no sin. He was actually one of the Devils who favored peaceful co-existence with the Angels' side and the Fallen Angels. If you have an explanation that can excuse away so much carnage and bloodshed directed towards us, then I will gladly grant you the consent you desire."

And that was around the time when things got a little ugly.

No, they _had to_ get ugly in order for me to say my part.

I took a deep breath, realizing I was about to go places I really hated seeing.

"OK..." I paused, unsure if it was for them or for myself. "I did not know about your grandfather, and I am sorry to hear about that, more-so because it was someone from the Church who carried out the deed. My condolences to you and your family." Rias's rolling eyes told me my sympathy was treated as an insult. "But, in return, can you tell me one thing? You know humans? You know, the people who were here before long before your kind, my kind, or the Angels ever existed? The same humans whose desires you use to sustain your race's existence?...Whatever happened to them? What about their loss? What about their worries? You ever stop and realize "Oh hey, these Exorcists I hate are also humans. Weird."? A lot of those Exorcists...they had families too. Some of them are idiotic and just as narrow-minded as you, but there were a lot of them who were fighting for reasons greater than just because some arrogant prick on a cloud told them to. Many of them had families, people they loved to the point they were willing to risk their lives to fight because, believe it or not, there are some Devils and Fallen Angels who actually wanted to _hurt_ the people they loved." I gave a mocking gasp to express faux-shock. "For every horrible thing you claim the Church has done to the Devils, the Devils have done things just as bad, so, for the love of my sanity, stop playing the "My species is the victim" card. There are no more victims anymore. All of us have scars, both physical and mental, because all of those old bastards above our heads still can't accept that the war from hundreds of years ago is over. We're hurting each other over something everyone's too stupid to see."

"I suppose...I can see what you're saying..." It was the first time I saw it since I met her, Rias Gremory's eyes softening. "But I still don't believe you understand-

I let out another sigh, filled with a more melancholy feeling. "I see it all of the time and I still see it even when I close my eyes." I motioned to my eyes, the ones I rarely opened more than I had to. "With the life I've lived, I've seen so many things. Men, women, children, entire families being slaughtered. After a while, I stopped seeing them as Devils, Fallen Angels, and humans. I just see people carrying out atrocities for little more than nothing. I have been forced to watch as many of my comrades were cut down before my eyes, having believed they were dying for a noble cause when, in reality, they were dying as noble fools who didn't realize how pointless it had all been. It's happened so many times that I think I have lost the ability to cry over them anymore. I just spend my time sitting, thinking about how I could have done differently." And, for the first time, I shot Rias a sharp look. "So don't you _dare_ say I don't understand anything. I have witnessed more horrors in a single day than you have ever witnessed in your entire life...Really, I'm just so sick of it all. All of this pointless fighting. The only reason I still do it is because, if I don't, others will suffer. That's why I am here, Rias Gremory, Sona Sitri. As much as this matters to the Church, it could affect everyone, not just us. I wish to prevent the issue before it can trouble us or you or the rest of the world."

The way I had really brought down the mood was pretty obvious from the way none of Rias Gremory's defiant and hostile aura was present anymore. Now it was just...uncertainty on her expression. Perhaps the slightest hint of shame.

"How about a compromise, Rias?" Sona said, speaking for the first time since the little back and forth between me and Rias began. "I sat back and patiently listened to the words spoken between you two and, while I believe your concerns do have some merit, I don't think the Exorcist-"

"Enzo." I piped up.

"-Enzo-san intends any harm towards any of us." Sona finished. "So, rather than giving him full freedom or denying his request, we should reach middle-ground between the two."

Far more receptive than she was with me, Rias showed some interest in what Sona was saying. "What do you suggest?"

"We restrict his investigations for after daylight hours, where it will be too late for any involvement with normal humans and when we can have our servants keep their eyes on him without disruption." A pause. "Excluding Kiba. I hope you understand."

"No no. I...I understand. It's Yuuto and Holy Swords, so we can't take any chances." While I was still focused on the primary objective in front of me, I could not have helped but notice how they kept mentioning Kiba and Holy Swords for some reason. Not just them, but Kiba himself had appeared to hold some grudge. I had suspicions but I decided to save those for later. "For the sake of not causing any unneeded conflicts between the Church and the Devils, I, as this territory's owner, am willing to accept the conditions as you have laid them out, Sona."

They both turned to me, awaiting my answer.

Relieved that the worst part of this was finally over, I made a show of considering Sona Sitri's proposal. Then, after several moments, I gave a calm, polite smile.

"I also find these terms acceptable."

The heavy atmosphere gradually began to dissipate between us. I was certain they still carried their doubts about me, but they (mainly Rias) seemed less inclined to try to blast me to bits.

"I also hope you can forgive Rias for her previous behavior." Sona said, gesturing to her crimson-haired friend. Rias looked indignant, but said nothing. "As you've said, the relations between our respective factions have always been, mildly put, strained."

"No no! I get it." I assured her, trying to lay all of their worries to rest. "It's fine. Really. Rias Gremory is hardly the first woman to ever show such distaste towards me and, even with my devilishly charming personality, I doubt she'll be the last. I was actually more surprised when you took my side in this affair. I guess you are far more cool-headed than your associate over here." Rias shot me a sharp look, switching her sharp gaze back and forth between me and Sona whose expression could not help but betray a small, prideful smile.

"I share Rias's concern, but I am more inclined to listen to reason rather than let my emotions run rampantly in a situation that has no need for it."

"I seeee." I leaned in, examining her face. "I find that to be an attractive trait in a woman." When I really got a good look at her, she was pretty beautiful too. Maybe her figure was nowhere near as curvy as the heiress to the Gremory clan, and maybe she could crush my nuts like grapes, but her presence held a cool elegance that was proper and prideful, but held no excessive arrogance. "So, now that that bit of unpleasant seriousness is over, what say you and I go out? Maybe get something to eat~? What do you say?"

"No thanks." Was the calm, collected woman's immediate reply as she adjusted her glasses on her face.

"Shot down." Rias noted, looking as though she were trying not to take amusement in how quickly Enzo was rejected.

"Darn." I snapped my fingers, trying to not seem rude considering how I didn't look as disappointed as I should have. I looked at Tsubaki whom I had just remembered was in the room. "Say, Tsubaki-chan, what say-"

"No." I think she was mad about being ignored for most of the confrontation.

"Ooh~ So cold~" I gave an exaggerated sigh, shrugging my shoulders. "It appears I shall not snare any beautiful maidens with my masculine wiles today. What a shame~" I gave a theatrical bow to my..."hosts". "If that is all there is to our business, then I must bid you adieu for now. 'Til next we meet, be it days, weeks, months...tomorrow during lunch period? Who knows! 'Til then!" I made my way to the door.

While the sudden mood change was a bit jarring, I'll admit, it was still preferable to the state I had left the atmosphere in after my attempt to convince Rias and Sona to grant me their permission.

However, there was one thing that made me pause just as I opened the door to leave.

I turned my head, looking back to face the heiresses to two of the more renowned Devil clans.

"By the way, I wasn't lying before." Deciding that this was the most appropriate time, if any, to speak more seriously than before, I dropped my cheerful tones, speaking with the most honesty I could conjure. "I really _do_ hope we can all be friends."

I left them with that thought.

* * *

 **Again, sorry it took so long and, also, sorry I won't update regularly. :P One day I just started writing this chapter. It was a passion of the moment kind of thing...I know that's probably not the expression, but I can't seem to focus on anything right now.**

 **The next chapter of Devil Reborn is also proceeding along quite nicely and I'll have that done in...I dunno. Gimme a week or two...probably just one week...Maybe. Not sure. Nothing definite.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


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